Chapter 77: Conspiracy (3)

The professor’s office in the Department of Blessings was similar to the academy director’s office.
Shelves were packed with teaching materials and introductory books.

The only peculiar thing was a stone resting on a side table.

It might have been an ornamental stone, but its surface was far too rough.

I stared at the stone, feeling an inexplicable sense of unease. Then the professor, seated across from me, gently stroked the stone and spoke.

“This is a research sample I recently acquired by chance. Although it looks like an ordinary stone, it contains a faint amount of magical power. If you’re interested, I can give you a piece, Kang Geom-Ma.”

“Oh, no, thank you.”

I declined the offer; it was far too unsettling to have in my room.

Moreover, space was limited, and an ornamental stone felt like too much of an adult hobby.

‘It’s not for me.’

Shortly after, Professor Damian smiled kindly and offered me a cup of tea again.

“Drink it while it’s hot. Its aroma is excellent.”

I was about to take a sip when an idea flashed across my mind.

‘…There’s a saying that you should never trust Russian black tea.’

Because of that precaution, learned on Earth, I hesitated to drink it. I stopped just before my lips touched the cup. The professor tilted his head curiously.

“Is there a problem…?”

Refusing something offered in goodwill was considered disrespectful.

But I didn’t want to consume something without being certain. There were still dangers lurking in the academy. Even if it was a professor, a symbol of trust, caution was necessary.

Above all, the tea’s origin made me uneasy. With so many other options, why Russia specifically…? I felt as if I could be exposed to harmful substances.

“On second thought, I’m allergic to black tea. I’m really sorry, Professor Damian, especially after you went to the trouble of preparing it.”

It was a false excuse, but I said it with as much respect as possible. My expression reflected sadness to ease the professor’s discomfort.

This was the result of years of experience dealing with adults in the workforce.

Suddenly, I recalled my first encounter with the Sword Master. That situation had been similar. The experience of enduring difficult clients for 20 years was engraved into my bones.

‘It’s not easy to shake off the spirit of customer service.’

Still, compared to dealing with insufferable clients in my past life, this was nothing…

“Oh, is that so? In that case, there’s nothing we can do.”

Professor Damian smiled understandingly and withdrew my cup of tea, clasping his hands together.

“The tea doesn’t matter. I’m glad you came to see me, Kang Geom-Ma. Since we’re here, ask me anything you want. I might not have encyclopedic knowledge, but I’ll answer as best I can.”

His tone reflected a mix of confidence and modesty. The professor radiated a natural tranquility. From his small gestures, his erudition could be felt. I nodded and spoke.

“It’s a continuation of the question I asked earlier about ‘May the blessing of the gods be with you.’”

“Ah, that question. In fact, it intrigued me so much that I conducted some research on it.”

The professor suddenly pulled an introductory book from the shelf and adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose. He looked like a passionate scholar as he turned the pages with saliva on his finger.

“Ah, here it is!”

He showed me the book with a satisfied smile and pointed to a line with his finger.

“This is the fragment. In fact, I went to Russia just to get this book.”

“Did you really go because of my question?”

“You gave me the starting point, but I was also curious. That’s how we academics are, don’t worry. On the contrary, I’m grateful to have learned something new.”

He shrugged.

“But anyway, that’s not the important part right now.”

He leaned toward me, his eyes gleaming with academic fervor.

Look, this is mine about the blessing classification system. I want you to remember and use this one, not the one you mentioned:

“As I mentioned in class, blessings are classified into four levels: Hero, Elemental, Guardian Spirit, and Personal. Each one is based on who grants the blessing. Although these spirits are transcendent, they are still inevitable entities. But here’s the question.”

He paused for a moment and took a sip of tea to clear his throat before continuing.

“Do you remember the last thing I told you?”

“That there are no gods left in this world…”

I murmured to myself, and the professor smiled faintly.

“You have a good memory, Kang Geom-Ma. What do you think about becoming my assistant?”

When I heard that proposal, it reminded me of a graduate student who used to frequent my restaurant in my past life.

—Damn it! Do you know what I regret most in life, boss? Accepting a professor’s assistant position because of their sweet words. Aaaah!

The young man, slamming his soju glass, had lamented his fate. It was a hard image to forget.

‘He said it wasn’t something a human should do.’

I shook my head to dispel those thoughts.

“I appreciate the offer, but I’m not interested in the academy.”

“Oh, is that so? That’s a shame.”

The professor sighed with a hint of disappointment.

“We’ve strayed a bit from the topic. Let’s go back to the mythological era.”

Suddenly, he closed his eyes and began reciting in a poetic tone.

“No one knows their origin, but it is said that in ancient times, numerous gods existed. We call that era the ‘Mythical Era.’”

Professor Damian’s voice sounded ethereal, as if he were dreaming.

I watched him in silence. They say being too intelligent can drive you mad, and now I understood why.

“The gods here are not transcendent like the ‘spirits.’ They are existences akin to concepts, lacking emotion, reason, form, and body.”

“Concepts…?”

“In simple terms, their level is different. Even the spirits, often compared to stars, are nothing more than fireflies before the sun when compared to the gods.”

He raised his voice, intensifying the gravity of his words.

“Absolute beings who transcended mortality. However, not even they could escape death.”

Professor Damian’s eyelids slowly lifted. His eyes, once unfocused, regained their sharpness.

“One of them, though of their same kind, marked the end of that era.”

The professor’s face hardened.

“The God of the Sword.”

“…!!”

“The phrase ‘May the blessing of the gods be with you’ was an expression humans began to use immediately after the Mythical Era to revere him and borrow his strength.”

He looked directly into my eyes. There wasn’t even the slightest tremor in his pupils.

“Does that answer your question?”

***

I left Professor Damian’s office after finishing our conversation.

“He’s smart, but he talks too much.”

I couldn’t even ask my questions about magic and had to leave quickly. If I had stayed any longer, I probably wouldn’t have finished today.

I walked down the hallway, scratching my head.

“I feel like I gained something, but at the same time, I didn’t gain anything.”

We had talked about a time when humans were practically cavemen.

It’s natural for the information to be vague and ambiguous. However, I couldn’t help but feel grateful for the effort he made to travel all the way to Russia just because of a simple phrase I mentioned.

Suddenly, I remembered the professor drinking his tea during our conversation. He had gone to the trouble of preparing it for me, and although I had politely declined, I felt a little guilty…

“…Still, there’s something suspicious about Russian tea.”

I let out a brief laugh and was about to resume my walk when a strange sensation washed over me.

It felt as if I had left without dressing properly. However, the thought lasted only a moment.

“Oh, I didn’t bring my sashimi today.”

Somehow, I felt my perception was more limited than usual. Normally, I don’t make these kinds of mistakes, but it seems I’m a bit excited. After all, it’s been a long time since I felt this way.

Lately, things have been pretty grim.

I’ve killed people and cut down demons.

It hasn’t been long since I entered the academy, but the gap between this and the peaceful life I had before is enormous.

That has also changed my personality.

Now, most things don’t affect me, and my character has become drier and more distant.

However, when I’m with the club members, I feel energy flowing, and the tension disappears.

A faint smile escaped me.

Just as they depend on me, I’m also leaning on them.

“By now, they’ve probably finished the preparations.”

I had been away for a while to resolve my doubts, but it was time to return and lend a hand. I quickened my pace.

***

The heat was at its peak.

The blazing sun beat down mercilessly, and sweat trickled down my back.

Despite the weather, Joaquin Academy was packed with people.

“Hey, look, that’s Mahatma Sindbad, the national hero of India!”

“Wow, this will go viral if I post it on X! I’m going to ask for a photo!”

Dust rose with every hurried step of the crowd.

“Wow, there’s Mao Lang! Her legs are incredible! The qipao really is humanity’s future…”

“But nothing beats the Americans. Look at All Mute! That tight suit… Ah, American heroes really are on another level.”

The students’ eyes shone brightly as they looked around.

Click, click.

The sound of cameras was constant. It wasn’t just students there.

“Mr. All Mute! You’re a strong candidate to become one of the Seven Heroes! Could you share a few words with us?”

“You’ve always shown a friendly stance toward Korea. Is that still true?”

“Do you know BTS, Park Ji-sung, Son Heung-min?”

Journalists, with their academy access credentials hanging around their necks, aimed their camera lenses at the famous heroes.

The heroes, in turn, were accustomed to the camera flashes.

“…They’re so damn cool.”

Speedweapon muttered as he watched them in admiration.

Ryozo, looking at him with disbelief, pinched him in the side.

Pinch.

The sound of the pinch was clear. An archer doesn’t lose precision even when pinching.

“Aaahhh!”

Speedweapon let out a sharp cry and rolled on the ground. Ryozo looked at him coldly.

“We’re busy, and you’re still getting distracted! It’s already chaotic with so many people around, and you’re just standing there like an idiot?”

“Talk with words, not violence! And hey, when there are world-class heroes around, it’s impossible not to get distracted!”

“You were the one who insisted we set up the stall! Stop staring around and get to work!”

It’s worth noting that the hierarchy between them had already been established in a previous competition.

The method was a duel, and the winner was, of course, Saki Ryozo.

In that match, she used her bow like a bat and struck Speedweapon as if she were beating a sandbag.

Even Chloe, who has experience as an assassin, was stunned when she saw the scene.

‘I didn’t know an archer could use a bow like that…’

Speedweapon returned completely bruised after that.

Fortunately, since he could heal himself, he managed to survive.

After that duel, Speedweapon’s insistence on posters disappeared, so in the end, it was something positive.

I looked around to inspect the stall. Chloe was diligently preparing the ingredients. Senior Ha-na was writing records, her glasses gleaming under the sunlight.

I checked the time on my phone and gathered the club members.

I looked at each of them before speaking.

“We have 10 minutes left before we open.”

Deliberately, I made eye contact with each one.

“Selling food in exchange for money isn’t something to be taken lightly.”

This was the first official event since the creation of the Exploration Club.

“But don’t get too nervous. Just do what we’ve practiced.”

Perhaps this would be our last festival.

“Since we’re doing this, let’s enjoy it.”