The Time for Change - 2
“Hey, you heard the news too, right?”
“Yeah. People have been talking about it nonstop lately.”
“Honestly, I don’t think it’s that big of a deal. They did it because they wanted to.”
“True, but it’s the kind of thing anyone can twist if they feel like it.”
A few days after Baek Seojin returned to the Academy, students gathered in clusters to voice their opinions about one particular piece of news. It had started with a single Gold-rank student. Since then, a handful of other Gold-rank students had sought him out as well. Their request was the same: they wanted to take the Silver-rank evaluation.
These were students who had already secured their Gold rank and showed no signs of dropping. Under normal circumstances, a rank evaluation would be impossible for them. They were already Gold. Unless they had been demoted for a reason listed in the academy rules, the exam simply wasn’t allowed. Yet somehow, they had been permitted to take the Silver evaluation—and, as expected, they had been demoted to Bronze.
Most students reacted as though it were only natural. No one had forced them; they had volunteered for the evaluation and even promised to accept demotion if they failed. A smaller group, however, voiced strong disapproval. They questioned how the Academy would handle external support if the number of Gold-rank students decreased, and accused Baek Seojin of overstepping his authority by allowing students who shouldn’t even qualify for the Silver exam to take it. A few went so far as to demand his removal, hoping the relatively lenient Silver evaluations would return once he was gone.
They tried to escalate the matter beyond the Academy, spreading the story outside in hopes that the relevant government department would intervene. Abuse of public authority was something the higher-ups took very seriously. If they learned that a low-ranking civil servant had acted without authorization, the consequences would be obvious. Yet the official response was clear.
[Regarding the received complaints, we provide the following notice.]
[As the parties involved strongly desired this, it is inappropriate to raise it as an issue.]
No scandal materialized. The Gold-rank students had wanted the evaluation themselves and openly admitted it. There was little ground to punish Baek Seojin for granting their request. Complaints and formal objections fizzled out once the department confirmed there was no wrongdoing. Even those hoping to stir up public outrage found themselves with nothing to stand on.
Meanwhile, students still waiting for their own Silver evaluations welcomed the development. Many had felt quietly resentful, as though they were the only ones suffering through the strict process. Seeing even Gold-rank students willingly step forward brought a strange sense of relief.
“Honestly, if Examiner Baek Seojin is the one judging, we should be grateful.”
“Exactly. He’s been giving even more detailed feedback lately.”
“After I fixed what he pointed out, the moves that used to trip me up suddenly became so much easier.”
Opinions of the examiner had improved dramatically. The biggest factor was his recent battle against an Elder. If someone of that caliber was willing to serve as an examiner, many students began to wonder what they might learn from him. In response, Baek Seojin had shifted his approach. His once razor-sharp evaluations now felt more like guidance from a professor overseeing practical training. He pointed out weaknesses, offered corrections, and highlighted strengths that needed further sharpening. Of course, he still refused to let anyone pass beyond Silver. The Silver Gatekeeper’s resolve remained absolute. Yet it was clear his strictness came without malice. Most students now viewed him as someone who had a reason for acting this way.
Baek Seojin had shared his own story, and his strength had been proven. Even Platinum-rank students regarded him favorably, and their approval helped dispel the doubts of those who had been uncertain. Naturally, student ranks remained unchanged. No one had crossed into Silver because the examiner had not permitted it. That fact occasionally left a bitter taste, but it didn’t mean they were falling behind. In lectures and especially during practical training and sparring, they could feel themselves improving bit by bit. It wasn’t just their imagination.
“Everyone, your overall level has risen noticeably lately. Excellent work.”
Professors overseeing both Bronze and Silver classes applauded in a way they rarely did. They claimed that if the students continued like this, they would all grow another step. These were seasoned instructors who had seen real combat; their praise was genuine, not empty flattery. Not every student had changed, of course. A few remained stagnant, clinging to the hope that the troublesome examiner would eventually disappear if they simply waited him out. As time passed, one truth became increasingly clear: following Baek Seojin’s advice, however annoying and difficult it was, ultimately brought results.
Then, several days later, a new rumor swept through the Academy.
“Whoa! A Bronze just got promoted to Silver!”
“Seriously? You’re not joking?”
“Dead serious. It just came out. A Bronze promoted to Silver—and it was Examiner Baek Seojin who approved it!”
“Who? Who managed to impress that strict examiner?”
Speculation ran wild. Students immediately thought of Lee Hyunwoo, the training-obsessed Bronze who had shown explosive growth under Baek Seojin’s guidance. Others were mentioned, but most assumed it had to be him. He seemed the most likely candidate to earn the first promotion. When the name was finally revealed, however, it wasn’t Lee Hyunwoo.
“What is this? Kim… Suhyun? Kim Suhyun?”
“Huh? Wait, who? Kim Suhyun?”
“Not Lee Hyunwoo? Why?”
Initial shock gave way to disappointment.
“If it’s Kim Suhyun, then she’s Kang Minsung’s granddaughter.”
“Ah, damn it. So that’s what this was. All that talk about fairness, and in the end he just bowed to Kang Minsung?”
To the students, it looked like Baek Seojin had yielded to Kang Minsung and his family. Kim Suhyun had shown no particular talent in class. Compared to Lee Hyunwoo’s dramatic improvement, she had remained ordinary—hardly the image one expected from the granddaughter of the legendary Sword Demon. Anger flared among some of the students.
“This isn’t right. This really isn’t right.”
“Come on, let’s go.”
“Where?”
“To demand an explanation. Was this what all that strictness was for?”
A group of furious students marched straight to Baek Seojin the moment class ended. They were ready to accuse him of favoring a privileged “gold-spoon” student while making everyone else suffer. Their protest never left their lips. The moment they arrived at the training grounds, they fell silent.
A Platinum-rank student was sparring with intense focus. Across from them stood none other than Kim Suhyun. The same girl who, at the start of the semester, had been weaker than most Bronzes and too timid to even swing a sword properly. Now she moved with cold, precise swordsmanship, refusing to yield even an inch against a Platinum-rank opponent. An ordinary Bronze-rank student was holding her own in a serious duel.