Chapter 80

### Chapter 80: The Vice Principal Appears (2)

"Hey... you're not doing anything strange out there, are you?"

At Kim Jin-hyuk's question, I was speechless.

Honestly, I had been doing some strange things, so I had no way to refute it.

But I couldn't just admit it, so I put on a facade.

"What are you talking about? Strange things?"

"Hmm, the principal mentioned something about a young guy doing something with a girl. I'm just asking to be sure. I don't intend to interfere with your personal life, but you are a student in our class."

"..."

No way. It can't be.

If my messy relationships were to be exposed... that would be really bad.

'Wait a minute.'

Upon reflection, there was no need to be anxious.

I have relationships with a total of five women.

Rumi, Im Sol, Lucy, Baek A-Young, and Lilianna.

Apart from Rumi, none of the others have been discovered.

Lucy was only affected by Felix's arousal magic once, and no one except Lilianna and I know what happened that day.

Im Sol only had relations inside the lab, so it was naturally not discovered.

I've had a few outdoor encounters with Baek A-Young, but I always set up barriers, so I've never been caught.

Lilianna only had relations inside the house, so no one would know about her.

The only one left is Rumi, and Rumi is honestly the one with the most potential to get caught.

We went to a motel twice when she didn't know anything, and I was caught having sex in the club room recently.

However, the important thing is that even if they investigate me, the only thing they'll find is that Rumi and I are in a relationship. There's nothing suspicious about it.

In conclusion, there's nothing to worry about.

"Don't worry. I'm not that kind of guy. To be honest, I volunteer at the orphanage every week, and I often see the Holy Maiden there. We also became close during the dungeon training terror incident when we were both left behind. I think that's why she called me."

"Oh... you volunteer on your own? I knew you were left behind during the terror incident, but I didn't know there was more to it. It makes sense that you became close. If my words made you uncomfortable, I apologize."

This is a normal reaction.

I've caught the intruding monster, worked hard as a member of the student council's publicity department, saved Baek A-Young during the dungeon rampage, and brought glory to the academy as a rising star. I even volunteer every weekend.

Where in the world would you find such an ace?

"Thank you. Where is the principal? Should I go to the principal's office?"

"No. He's coming this way. I have to leave for class, so we can talk here."

"Ah... I understand."

"Everyone knows you work hard, so don't be nervous. Just speak your mind."

"Yes. Have a good class."

After Kim Jin-hyuk left to prepare for the joint class.

I relaxed and calmed my body.

Organizations are inherently complex, but as a principal, you can ignore most things.

In reality, the principal has more power than the dean. Whether it's ability, authority, or any other measure, the principal is stronger.

So I don't know what he will say to me.

I prepared coffee for the principal.

Even though it's just instant coffee, the important thing is the effort.

I poured the instant coffee into the cup and waited without adding hot water.

Knock knock knock.

"Is student Lee Ho-yeon here?"

"Yes, I'm here!"

Now. I poured the hot water naturally.

This is how you pretend to serve coffee with manners!

The principal, who entered and opened the door, had the appearance of a middle-aged man.

He had a clean and approachable look, and with his glasses, he somewhat resembled Moon Su-rin.

This person is definitely Moon Su-rin's grandfather, showing that strong hunters can ignore aging.

"You must be student Lee Ho-yeon. Nice to meet you."

Principal Moon Jae-chul extended his hand to me.

I shook his hand politely with both hands.

Moon Jae-chul sat down without even glancing at my coffee.

A bit disappointing.

"So, Lee Ho-yeon... do you know what I'm going to say?"

"I'm not sure."

Probably something about Baek A-Young.

Since we've done volunteer work together and were left behind during the dungeon training, he might be asking about Baek A-Young.

"I came here because I know you have a close relationship with Hunter Baek A-Young. Is that true?"

"Yes. While not a close relationship, we maintain a moderate level of familiarity."

It's best to pretend to have a moderate level of familiarity. There's no benefit in admitting to a close relationship.

"Right... yesterday, Hunter Baek A-Young suddenly expressed her desire to be assigned to the academy. Have you heard anything about this from her?"

"No. I only found out this morning from Professor Kim Jin-hyuk."

"Hmm..."

Moon Jae-chul brought the coffee to his mouth.

"You're quite good at making coffee for a student. However, there's something that bothers me."

"What is it?"

"Do you know what conditions Hunter Baek A-Young has requested? She doesn't need money. She only wants the academy not to use her image as the Holy Maiden for its benefit. And she wants a position where she can easily interact with students."

"..."

I listened quietly to the principal to understand the situation.

"From the academy's perspective, there's no reason to refuse. The image of the Holy Maiden has already been exploited by the association. Just announcing that the Holy Maiden has left the association and joined the academy would bring significant benefits."

That's true. Baek A-Young is known for her beautiful face and her consistent care for the injured on the field, which has deeply ingrained the image of the Holy Maiden.

Not only the media, but active hunters also support Baek A-Young, so the general public has a strong impression that "she is the Holy Maiden and very kind."

The academy would gain immeasurable benefits just by having her choose it over the association.

"But the position where she can easily interact with students... it's a bit concerning. From our perspective, it's a suspicious situation."

"Yes."

"But, is the association trying to take students? If so, Baek A-Young is too big a card. Is she trying to form a guild with the students? That's absurd. So, the only remaining possibility is that there's a student who has caught her attention..."

"..."

"And that student is you. Lee Ho-yeon."

Scary.

I could feel the principal's determination to uncover my secrets.

This is a man who has risen to the position of principal.

If I were an ordinary student, I might have confessed everything under the pressure of the principal's position and the situation, but I am different.

While the academy's ability to discover that Baek A-Young's target is me in just one day is a bit scary, it's important to remain calm in such situations.

My answer here is crucial.

What kind of answer is this man looking for?

"I'm not without a conscience. If it's true that you helped bring Hunter Baek A-Young to the academy, I want to repay you. You don't have to lie."

He says that, but he must already know the truth.

In fact, if you ask the hunters who rescued us during the dungeon training terror or the teachers at the orphanage, they would know that Baek A-Young and I are close.

Of course, if I strongly deny it, I can get out of this situation for now, but it won't solve the root problem.

Baek A-Young will eventually contact me since she has come to the academy.

'Maybe it's best to say we're dating.'

If Baek A-Young and I are dating, everything would be resolved. It's common for people to change jobs for their partners.

Just as I was about to say we're dating, I hesitated.

If they've investigated this much, they must already know about my relationship with Rumi.

So, saying we're dating is not an option.

How should I answer?

After some thought, I spoke.

"Actually... the Holy Maiden has been following me because she likes me."

I'm sorry, A-Young.

"..."

At this unexpected answer, Moon Jae-chul's poker face broke, and his eyes widened.

*

"Is that so... She's been following you since the dungeon rampage because she developed feelings for you..."

"Yes. Last weekend, when the student council went to the orphanage for volunteer work, she followed me there. You can confirm this with the orphanage director."

"Wow... wait a moment."

Moon Jae-chul tapped his smartwatch to contact someone.

"It's true. I confirmed with the orphanage director."

"Yes."

"Hmm, if you want protection, the academy can send Hunter Baek A-Young away right now. What do you think?"

Wow. To send away the Holy Maiden for a student, he must have some principles as a principal.

Considering he's Moon Su-rin's grandfather, he can't be a bad person.

"No. I'm still thinking about my relationship with the Holy Maiden."

I thought I gave a good answer, but Moon Jae-chul was staring at me intently.

"You are definitely different from other students."

"It's nothing special."

Oops. Did I act too calm?

But if I'm pretending to be a real student, it's better to be calm and avoid mistakes.

I couldn't think of a better response.

"It's not nothing. You're different from the students who tremble in front of me. It's understandable that Su-rin is interested in you."

"..."

Did I hear that right? How does the principal know Moon Su-rin is interested in me?

"But... "

Thump.

The principal wasn't emitting any mana, but my combat senses were telling me it was a dangerous situation.

"To be close with Su-rin... you need to clear up all your relationships with other women and focus only on Su-rin. Otherwise, I don't know how I'll react."

"..."

The principal was smiling, but it wasn't a genuine smile.

"You don't bow completely. I admire your spirit."

It seemed the principal liked me as a potential son-in-law, except for my relationships with other women. He gave me a kind smile.

I was too scared to make excuses.

Since he hasn't gone into a rage, he probably doesn't know about my other relationships. That's a relief.

"I'll send Su-rin to you next time. Since you helped bring the Holy Maiden to the academy, I'll make sure to reward you."

The problem is that I haven't even started pursuing Moon Su-rin.

If I mess up, will he react so coolly?

If he says I need to date as many women as a squid's tentacles, what will his reaction be?

'I don't know... '

*

The principal finished the conversation and left the room.

Since I couldn't skip class, I quickly ran to the hall where the joint class was being held.

Creak.

When I opened the door and entered, the first and second-year students were gathered, receiving instructions from the professors.

I met Professor Kim Jin-hyuk's eyes, who was standing in front of the first-year students, and nodded slightly before sitting next to Lucy.

"Oh? Lee Ho-yeon. You're here?"

"Yep. Where's Rumi?"

"She's in the bathroom. The mental training is over, and it's time for sparring. You have perfect timing."

"Oh... really?"

No wonder, I thought, as I noticed a few professors were missing. They were setting up the sparring areas behind us.

With over ten sparring areas set up, it seemed all the students would be participating.

"First-year students, gather over here. You will be sparring with the second-year students."

Murmurs.

"Wow, the second-year students must be incredibly strong."

"But there are no famous second-year students. The first-year rising stars will probably just beat them."

That's true.

For the sake of the story, the rising stars are all in the first year. The second-year students are just innocent victims.

"Wow, what happened in the first-year students' birth year?"

"Who knows. They're just lucky."

I'm grateful that the first-year students don't have a 'Golden Generation' label.

If I were called the 'main character of the Golden Generation,' I'd really want to die.

"So, how will we decide the order? Is there anyone who wants to spar with the second-year students first?"

While Professor Kim Jin-hyuk was helping set up the sparring areas, a female professor in charge of Class B stepped onto the stage and asked the first-year students.

Unlike the usual class, the students seemed a bit interested. Opportunities to spar with seniors are rare.

Before anyone else could volunteer, I raised my hand.