Chapter 99

EP.99 Preparation for the New Semester (1)

- Seoul Holder Academy officially announces the recruitment of instructor Yoo Eun-sul

- The first S-class instructor in the country... Will this bring a major change to holder education?

- Yoo Eun-sul: "I wanted to try training domestic assassins."

- A-class holder Jung Seon-young decides to join as a short-term instructor, following Yoo Eun-sul

- Foundation Chairman Tack Yun-jae: "The Academy will continue to evolve."

In a room filled with various kinds of wine,

Headlines from countless articles appeared on a small tablet on the table.

Next to it was a simple glass.

Beneath it, fingers tapped the table rhythmically.

Soft jazz played in the room.

"Hmm—"

Cha Su-yeon read the articles with a deep smile.

The tapping fingers.

From their lively rhythm, her excitement was evident.

"Director. Did you call for me?"

A man with a sharp expression knelt on one knee.

Yoon Jae, a core clan member of the <Villain> clan's Academy branch.

Cha Su-yeon turned her gaze from the tablet to him.

Her smile remained.

"Yoon Jae, you're here?"

"Yes, Director."

"Hmm— Something interesting has happened."

Cha Su-yeon's face showed she was in a very good mood.

Her gaze seemed fixed on the tablet.

Yoon Jae, observing her, asked cautiously,

"Is it a new order?"

"Yes. And it's quite interesting."

Cha Su-yeon flipped through the articles on the tablet.

"Have you heard about Yoo Eun-sul joining the Academy as an instructor?"

"Yes, I read it in the news on my way here."

"Hehe, it's quite interesting. An S-class holder teaching kids."

Ah.

As if something had just occurred to her, Cha Su-yeon lifted her head.

"Yoon Jae, isn't she in the same field as you?"

"Yes."

Yoo Eun-sul is an S-class holder in the assassin field.

Naturally, she will teach in that field.

Yoon Jae is a student holder, the second in the assassin field among the first-year students at the Academy.

"Oh... Listen. I'm curious about what an S-class holder's class will be like."

"...Is that the new order?"

"Huh? No, it's not."

After putting aside the tablet she had been reading,

Cha Su-yeon took a sip of wine from the glass.

"Maybe because the Gangnam branch messed up so badly this time? All the major clans are working together to find us, and the leadership is quite troubled by this issue."

Yoon Jae listened intently, tense.

Originally, Cha Su-yeon never explained the clan's detailed situations or operation plans.

She only gave orders on what he needed to do.

The fact that she was now explaining things in such detail meant she was in a particularly good mood.

He needed to focus and not miss this opportunity.

If he failed to hear properly and messed up the operation, he would be the one to face the consequences.

"Hmm— So, we have another chance. And with Yoo Eun-sul, a big catch, joining the Academy, there are many things we can do now that the attention is on her."

The Gangnam branch's major failure in targeting <Fire's Judgment>.

As a result, the clans became more vigilant, and the resolve to eliminate <Villain> intensified, leading the clan to look for a new direction.

The first direction was the Academy branch.

Coincidentally, with Yoo Eun-sul, an S-class holder, joining, and the interest in the 'Ando-gwan incident' that had caused a stir at the Academy waning,

This was the perfect time.

Cha Su-yeon smiled deeply and looked at Yoon Jae.

"This time, I'll go to the field myself."

"...What?"

Yoon Jae, thinking he had misheard, asked for clarification.

But from Cha Su-yeon's next words, he realized he had heard correctly.

"Hmm— I'm included in the list of instructors joining with Yoo Eun-sul. It's a bit disappointing that we're in different fields. I also wanted to teach the kid you mentioned, Jo Jae-hyun."

Cha Su-yeon is joining the Academy as a short-term instructor.

This was a bold move.

There is a clear difference between recruiting someone and going out in person.

While it's unclear how the clan's operations will proceed, having a branch-level leader on the field means the clan members will have a much wider range of activities.

Cha Su-yeon took another sip of wine and said,

"By the way, the daughter of that Jo Jae-hyun is also in the mage field. Hehe, this is good. I've always wanted to ruin her."

Speaking casually about ruining the successor of the <Fire's Judgment>, one of the three major clans in the country.

Seeing the gentle madness in her eyes,

Yoon Jae quietly bowed his head.

He, too, was not a normal person as a member of the <Villain> clan, but this woman was truly a psychopath.

If she weren't his superior,

He would never want to associate with such a person.

"Hmm— This will be interesting."

And so, another major upheaval was about to begin.

* * *

After the 'Stained Rock Pile' dungeon was cleared.

A few days later, the news officially announced 'Yoo Eun-sul's appointment as an instructor at the Academy.'

Honestly, I was stunned.

Meeting Yoo Eun-sul, an S-class holder, in the dungeon by chance was already surprising...

But finishing the dungeon together, receiving a party invitation for a special double dungeon, and then finding out she was joining the Academy as an instructor.

The fact that I played a crucial role in this decision.

It was even more unbelievable.

-Originally, she kept refusing. It seemed she had no interest in the Academy at all. But after meeting Jo Jae-hyun, she immediately agreed.

This was what Professor Tack Won-ho, who had been pushing for her recruitment, said.

He had planned to introduce me to her last Sunday, but we met in the dungeon by chance, making it unnecessary.

As a result, Yoo Eun-sul accepted the position as an instructor and was immediately featured in all the newspapers.

An S-class holder joining the Academy as an instructor.

It was a significant and surprising event in the holder community.

"Registration will be intense."

In the assassin field at the Academy,

There were no S-class, let alone A-class, instructors.

The quality of education was inevitably lacking.

That's why I only took one course in the first semester.

A throwing technique class called 'Understanding Throwing.'

With Yoo Eun-sul's class being added to this barren field...

It was certain that the registration would be fiercely competitive, accompanied by enthusiastic cheers from the assassin field students.

"...What?"

My muttered words caught the attention of Kang Ju-yeon, who was sitting in front of me.

I quickly apologized, realizing I had been spacing out.

"Ah, sorry. I was just thinking about the Academy."

"...The Academy?"

"Yes. S-class holder Yoo Eun-sul is joining as a short-term instructor."

"Ah..."

"She's a very rare instructor in the assassin field, and this might be her last semester... So, the registration competition will be intense."

Yoo Eun-sul's contract is a short-term one.

She will teach this semester, but it's unclear if she will continue next semester.

This rare opportunity to take a top-tier class.

It's natural for students to be highly interested.

The server might even crash on registration day.

Sizzle—

Sizzle—

The dishes I prepared were almost done.

I tasted them one by one, adjusting the seasoning.

"Almost ready."

We were at a self-cooking restaurant.

Because I had received a lot of help from Kang Ju-yeon when I joined <Fire's Judgment> as an intern, I had always wanted to treat her to a meal.

However, inviting her to my apartment was problematic due to her social status and the potential trouble if Jo Jae-hyun found out.

So, I chose a self-cooking restaurant.

It was a unique concept restaurant in Yeongdeungpo, equipped with various vegetables, side dishes, cooking tools, and seasonings.

"...What are you making now?"

"This is braised ribs. This is jajang. Oh, these are shiitake mushrooms... Do you remember the Korean restaurant we went to last time?"

"Yes."

"I tried to recreate the shiitake mushrooms we had there. Let's compare the taste."

Although I had eaten with Kang Ju-yeon many times since joining <Fire's Judgment>, I had rarely cooked for her.

At most, I had grilled some meat at the cafeteria.

So, I decided to treat her properly this time.

The menu was Korean food.

A course of my own creation, inspired by the Korean restaurant we visited last time.

Chomp—

Kang Ju-yeon picked up her chopsticks and tried the shiitake mushrooms first.

She chewed them with her usual stoic expression.

Despite knowing that my [Cooking] skill was now better than most chefs, I still felt nervous and asked,

"How is it?"

"...It's good."

Fortunately, the result was the best.

For Kang Ju-yeon to say 'it's good' directly, it must be really delicious.

I smiled in relief.

"Better than the restaurant we went to last time?"

"Yes. It's softer."

With her additional praise, I felt more confident to continue cooking.

Soon, most of the dishes were ready.

"Let's eat."

"Let's eat."

We started our meal together.

The usual small talk followed.

The conversation pattern was always the same.

I asked questions, and Kang Ju-yeon answered.

Given her quiet personality and my preference for leading the conversation, this was natural.

Of course, when the topic turned to the clan, Kang Ju-yeon sometimes took the lead.

"Now, only two weeks left until the new semester starts."

"...Yeah."

The topic of our conversation was the upcoming new semester, following the long break.

My internship at <Fire's Judgment> was almost over.

While talking about the new semester and its preparations, I suddenly asked Kang Ju-yeon,

"Which club are you going to join?"

Club.

Similar to 'clubs' in high school or college, these are small groups within the Academy that focus on various interests, from general hobbies to runes and fields of study.

First-year students can join in their second semester and continue until their third year, the final year.

It's a common experience in any school and a cliché in novels.

But for Kang Ju-yeon, joining a club was quite important.

The club she would join in her second semester, <Flame Dance>.

Specifically, the third-year president of that club, Yun Ji-a.

Meeting her, a mature B-class fire attribute holder, was the catalyst for Kang Ju-yeon's growth into an A-class holder.

A foundation and a challenge.

<Flame Dance> club held significant meaning for Kang Ju-yeon.

It was a major turning point in her growth in the middle of the story.

So, even though I knew she would naturally join <Flame Dance>, I asked out of curiosity.

Lately, too many things have been unfolding differently from the original story.

Just in case.

And...

"...Which club are you going to join?"

As expected, the story took a different turn.

Damn.

Again, again.

Why is she so curious about which club I'm going to join?