Chapter 86: Became a Mafia in the Academy

Wednesday lunchtime.

Despite it being lunchtime, the children were unusually slumped over their desks, their cheeks resting on the tables, sitting there in a daze.

"Training with Eva... it's so troublesome..."

"Why can't we do club activities on training days... After one training session, I feel completely drained and don't want to do anything... I just want to eat snacks in the club room..."

Listening to the whining from the front and side, I felt like I was going to lose my mind.

I, too, felt a bit down knowing that I had to go to training after just one main story quest was left, but hearing their complaints made me even more frustrated.

"Jin-woo, where did Yeong-je go?"

"Yeong-je? He probably didn't come to school today because he has mentoring. Really, he's just sucking all the honey for himself..."

Seo-a stood up after hearing Jin-woo's words.

"Mentoring? That's right! There was a mentoring class! I need to go see my mentor... My mentor is Instructor Ji-soo-hyun!!"

Then Seo-a became dejected again.

"God is dead..."

"No, God is alive."

"Huh?"

Seo-a looked at me, surprised by my sudden interjection.

Yes. The one who sent me here is that God. There's no way the guy I'm supposed to kill later would die first.

"Then, if God is alive... why didn't Jin-woo go to the mentoring class?"

"Me? Huh?"

Jin-woo, suddenly called out by Seo-a, stood up and shivered.

"I like training."

"Huh?"

"At least training doesn't leave any scars. That crazy woman... I just want to train."

I couldn't imagine what kind of activities they usually do to look like this.

"Um... What about Yoo-jin? You haven't gone to the mentoring class this week, right?"

I still hadn't received any contact from Kwak Chun-sik.

The '1' next to the message had disappeared, so he must have read it, but why hasn't he replied?

"He said he has something to think about and isn't taking calls."

"Ah... There must be a reason. Sigh, we're going to training again, huh."

As Seo-a muttered and was about to lay back on her desk, a broadcast suddenly echoed through the classroom.

"Han Yoo-jin. Han Yoo-jin, please come to the Academy office. I repeat, Han Yoo-jin..."

"Boss, did you do something wrong?"

"Do you think I did?"

"I've never done anything wrong?!"

Ignoring Jin-woo's outburst, I stood up from my seat.

A call from the office? Was there something that could have called me recently?

"Hmm..."

There are too many things that could have happened, making it hard to guess.

Before I knew it, I had arrived at the office. As I opened the door and stepped inside, the instructors' gazes turned to me.

Why are they all looking at me like this?

...Hmm?

I saw someone who shouldn't be here.

"...Sir?"

Shouldn't you still be in Gangwon Province? Why are you in the Academy office?

"Student, it's been a while, hasn't it?"

Kwak Chun-sik burst into laughter, finding my flustered face amusing.

"Why are you here, Sir?"

"You told me to come, didn't you? I was sorting things out and arrived just now."

But why didn't you contact me until now? You've been preparing non-stop since that day?

"Let's go out for a bit, shall we? Yun-ho, can I take my student out for a bit?"

He suddenly asked Park Yun-ho, the first-year student advisor.

"Senior, the first-year students have training in the afternoon──"

"Shh──! Oh!"

"Senior..."

No matter how strict and rigid the student advisor is, Kwak Chun-sik is a legendary hero and a senior.

Moreover, he had supervised Park Yun-ho during his training...

Still, I had never seen Park Yun-ho so flustered.

"You can miss three mentoring sessions a week, right? Can't you handle it that way?"

"That's true, but there's no precedent for leaving during class──"

"Then let's make this the first case! Just say you'll do it, and it's settled! Why are you arguing so much?"

...Wow. There are such strict seniors.

But maybe because the criticism wasn't directed at me, I felt quite comfortable.

Someone once said that when a powerful and respected senior is on your side, you feel incredibly supported.

I was experiencing that in real-time.

"Seniors have always been like that! Back in my day, if a senior said to make a soybean paste with red beans, you'd say, 'Yes, Senior~' and do it. Kid!"

"Ah... Yes, Senior."

"What?"

"Seems like I can take Han Yoo-jin out, Senior."

"Right? See, it's possible. Tsk tsk... Let's go, student."

"Ah, yes."

Can Park Yun-ho make such an expression?

He looked troubled and didn't know what to do, while Ji-soo-hyun was trying hard not to laugh, biting her lip.

It was a stark contrast between the two.

Following Kwak Chun-sik out of the office, I asked him as he walked ahead.

"Sir, where are we going?"

"To my house."

"Your house?"

"Of course, kid. We need to talk about what's happened, and there are things we shouldn't discuss here."

The sudden change in atmosphere made me feel a sense of unease.

"Then I know a good place."

"Good place?"

"Yes, there, no one will hear us, and there won't be any sound leaks."

"Hmm, there's such a place? Let's go see it."

"Yes."

I led the puzzled Kwak Chun-sik to the Familia club room.

The Familia club room was created to cultivate my 'family' from the beginning.

I had already designed it to prevent sound from leaking out, and the president's office was made to be impervious to magical eavesdropping, making it a perfect place for secret conversations.

"Is this... a club room? Are you thinking of going to an empty club room?"

Ah, I haven't told Sir yet.

"My club room is here."

"Huh? Aren't you a first-year?"

"Yes, but..."

"But you have a club... No, your club?"

"Yes."

"You're the president?"

"Yes."

After hearing my answers, Sir let out a bitter laugh.

"Ha, I knew you were capable, but I didn't expect a first-year to have a club in the Academy. It's unbelievable."

"As you said, I am quite capable."

To show respect, I led him to the back of the club room and activated the cargo elevator.

"...You even have an elevator?"

"One of our club's prides."

I swiped my card at the card reader and descended to the basement, where the Familia club room was revealed.

"Let's go to the president's office."

"What kind of club has an underground string and a shower room? You have everything. That's something even our martial arts hall doesn't have..."

Kwak Chun-sik grumbled but looked around enthusiastically.

We settled into the president's office.

After placing some tea and snacks in front of him, I began the conversation.

"What happened? I didn't hear from you or that you were coming. How could you come to Seoul so quickly?"

Kwak Chun-sik had entered Silver Town instead of prison for the crime of killing a villain.

Due to the political figures' scrutiny, it would have been difficult for him to leave easily.

Therefore, he would have needed my help or external assistance to come out smoothly, but it was hard to understand how he managed to do so.

"It was just good luck, I guess."

"...Luck?"

"Yes, remember that spatial mage you caught recently? The one called 'Phantom'? While I was thinking about your story, I suddenly got a call from the prosecution. They asked if the guy was really 'Phantom'."

Wait, Phantom?

...The pieces were starting to fall into place.

I didn't expect that helping Kim Seo-a would have this effect.

As Seo-a was cleared as a suspect, Phantom was re-evaluated, and the attention turned to Kwak Chun-sik, who was known to have caught Phantom.

"They said 'Phantom' brought villains to Korea. The escaped convicts in the news. Do you see the connection now?"

"Did they offer you a plea deal?"

"Yes, that's right. The government secretly approached me with a deal. They asked for help investigating the villains who infiltrated Korea."

"But why specifically you? There are many heroes, including the association, who could participate in the investigation."

It meant there was no reason for the government to specifically choose Kwak Chun-sik.

However, Kwak Chun-sik smiled and answered my question.

"At first, they offered a reward... but do I need money or items? So, I made a deal. Just as you suggested last time."

Thanks to that, an issue that could have been politically blocked was easily approved.

"I was thinking of other methods if it didn't work, but the approval came so easily. I wonder what changed the minds of the high-ups."

I somehow felt I knew the reason.

"It seems your father intervened."

"Father? You mean Vito Calione?"

"Yes, though I'm not sure."

Last time, Father suggested having a meal with Sir Kwak Chun-sik.

Father must have been