Ch 119
Became a swordsmanship instructor at the academy
Chapter 119
I invited him to eat lunch together several times, but that guy Shin-hyeok, whatever he was so busy with, just left.
Actually, it doesn't matter.
Now I can eat crispy chicken as much as I want even without that guy.
I took out Sheuneol chicken from the refrigerator and transferred it to the air fryer.
I was going to eat just one bag, but the portion was surprisingly small, so I took out one more and transferred it to the basket, set the timer, and pressed the button.
Anyway, when that guy brings ice cream tomorrow, I'll need space to put it in.
I also put instant rice in the microwave.
Chi-bap is the truth.
Yeah, I should eat cup ramen too.
Humming a tune, I came outside, lit a campfire, and put a pot with water on it.
When the water boiled, I transferred it to the cup ramen container and returned to the camping car.
The ramen finished cooking first, so I devoured the noodles while waiting for the chicken and mixed half the rice directly into the broth.
I ate the remaining half of the rice with chicken, and finished by eating the rice mixed in ramen broth while watching variety shows - this is truly paradise.
After finishing the meal, I came out to incinerate the trash, when the space on the left split open and an old man wearing white robes and carrying a sword appeared.
Looking at his attire, he's similar to the guys who came last time.
"Are you Cho Yu-ryang?"
Starting with informal speech from the first meeting - that's right.
"You seem to be from the Immortal Realm?"
Even before this old man came, guys in similar attire had come asking me to ascend.
"You have been decided for ascension due to your merit in slaying the evil dragon that appeared in the Central Plains 300 years ago, so come with me."
His lines are exactly the same as those guys from last time.
"Not interested."
"Huh? What do you mean by that?"
"I clearly told the immortals who came last time. I do not desire ascension."
"No, how can you refuse ascension?"
"Is there chicken in the Immortal Realm?"
"Chicken?"
"I didn't expect it, but as expected. Then what about Dongpo pork? Mapo tofu? Juk-yeop-cheong, Yeo-ah-hong, and Geum-jon-cheong?"
"Now I see you haven't overcome your gluttony yet. Listen here, when you become an immortal, you don't need to eat such foods and alcohol..."
"Is such a life meaningful?"
"Haha, to refuse ascension just because of mere food..."
"It's not just because of mere food. I can live without eating."
"What? Then why..."
"Just now you clearly said my ascension was decided due to my merit in slaying the evil dragon, right? Then why didn't you come find me right away?"
"That's because you moved to another dimension due to the evil dragon's sorcery."
"That was much later. I'm asking what the Immortal Realm was doing during the period when I was holed up in the mountains to break the evil dragon's curse."
"..."
"If the Immortal Realm had come just a little earlier, my friend and my friend's children too... I wouldn't have had to spend decades alone and lonely in this place."
"I'm not saying I don't understand your feelings, but the Immortal Realm also has circumstances."
"Circumstances, my foot. Then I also have circumstances of not wanting to ascend, so go back now."
"That cannot be. If those with power like yours remain without ascending, chaos will come to the world. Moreover, this world isn't the original place you lived in but a different dimension, isn't it?"
"If you're worried about chaos, don't be. I have no intention of disturbing the world. I'll just continue to stay here."
"I cannot allow it. If you won't comply, I have no choice but to take you by force, so come along quietly while I'm speaking nicely."
"By force... Do you have such power?"
The guys who came last time also said they'd take me by force when I refused, so I gave them a little lesson.
"Haha, living long, I hear all sorts of things. You're the first to say such words to me, Sword Immortal Yeo Dong-bin."
"Sword Immortal? When I roamed the martial world, my alias was Sword God."
"Sword God... Haha. Being a martial artist, your confidence is overflowing. Good. Then let's decide through a duel."
"Fine. But before that, I'd like to move the location first."
I'm not afraid of the Sword Immortal, but if I fight with that guy, this place will become a complete wasteland.
***
"Teacher Kang? Teacher Kang!"
"Yes... Yes? What's the matter?"
"I've asked three times if you finished reviewing the final exam papers..."
"Ah... Not yet. Well, I can do it during lunch."
"Can you finish it all by lunch? You need to get approval before leaving work today."
"I should be able to..."
"Why do you look so listless? You've been like this since last week, is something wrong?"
"Something wrong? No."
It's already been a week since Master disappeared.
I called the vice principal and even used my Monday vacation day to search every corner of the portal, but couldn't find anything.
Did he really ascend to immortality...
Not a single piece of clothing or strand of hair was left behind.
I've never experienced immortal ascension myself, so I don't know how the process goes, but I never expected him to disappear like this without leaving even a word.
That heartless old geezer.
"It's not nothing - looking at your expression, something's definitely wrong. You even used vacation on Monday... Could it be relationship problems?"
"I wish it were something like that... No, it's nothing. I'll go first for the morning assembly."
A week has already passed, but the shock hasn't faded.
My mind is completely scattered.
I can't focus on work at all.
I said I'd buy him delicious things and treat him better, and he said he understood...
'Stay just a little longer', what was so urgent?
"R-right. I don't know what it is, but cheer up. How about a drink tonight... No, I'm talking nonsense."
I greeted Teacher Park, who was rambling to himself, saying good work, and left the staff room.
I went up to the classroom, held morning assembly, and arrived at the swordsmanship training ground.
"Teacher Kang, good morning!"
Teacher Jung Eun-sik, who's in charge of 1st-year swordsmanship, greets me cheerfully.
"Ah, yes."
Good morning, my foot...
I'm turning on my laptop when Teacher Jung approaches.
"Teacher Kang, here."
He's holding out some card... Haha, this is a wedding invitation.
"Congratulations. You said you were preparing last time, and you're finally doing it."
"Yes. I'm finally getting married in two weeks. It's on Sunday, if you have time..."
"Yes, I'm free. I'll go."
"Really? Thank you."
If it were another practical skills teacher, I would have refused without thinking, but Teacher Jung Eun-sik transferred here this year, didn't look down on me, and is a pleasant person, so we got along quite well.
He was smiling from morning, so there was a reason.
"Teacher Kang, aren't you seeing anyone?"
"No."
"Really? It seems like Teacher Kang could meet anyone if you put your mind to it."
"You're being too generous with praise. You don't need to say that - I'll go to the wedding anyway."
"It's not praise but sincere - are you perhaps a confirmed bachelor...?"
"Not particularly. I'm just busy with various things, so I don't have time for dating..."
On weekdays I'm at school, and on weekends, unless there's something special, I go to Master every time.
"I have quite a few nice female friends around, shall I introduce you to some?"
"Ah, no thank you. I'm fine."
Teacher Jung urged again, but I answered that I was really fine and left the office.
When I can't even focus on work, what dating...
I went to the 2nd-year training ground area and saw the kids were already there since it was almost time.
After finishing class, I packed my laptop and headed to the dormitory.
Today's lunch menu is cheese pork cutlet, which ranks in the top 3, but I have no appetite.
Let me just review the final exam papers.
I entered my room, packed my laptop, and tore a leaf.
Instantly my vision changed and I could see the familiar hill.
I used warp magic to instantly move to the camping car parked next to the Demon Realm Tree.
That Luciel girl is sleeping soundly.
I was about to go outside, but Luciel seemed to sense movement and stirred, then woke up.
She looked at me once, then went outside without saying anything.
Of course, I didn't say anything either.
In the past, I would have greeted her with a smile, but actually a few days ago - a few months ago in this place's time - Luciel and I had quite an argument.
After Master disappeared and I was busy searching, I couldn't visit Luciel for about two days.
To be precise, it was two and a half days, but in this place's time, that's 75 days - two and a half months.
I had promised to visit at least once a month, but I couldn't keep it.
Even while my mind was scattered, I prepared lots of chocolate bars out of guilt and explained all the reasons why I came late.
I apologized first too.
I knew Luciel was originally rough and harsh with her words, so I expected some complaints and was prepared to endure them.
Since I was the one who broke the promise first.
But that girl crossed the line.
Very severely.
'Just because some old geezer died, you forgot about me? Does that make sense?'
Some old geezer...
I could endure all other words, but this phrase alone I absolutely couldn't let pass.
Master isn't simply someone who taught me martial arts.
Without Master, the current me couldn't exist.
He's the benefactor who saved me when I stupidly didn't say I wanted to be the protagonist and ended up becoming a third-rate extra.
To begin with, the word Master (師父) itself is made by combining Teacher (師) and Father (父).
Though we don't share a drop of blood, I considered Master my family.
I demanded an apology from Luciel, but that girl snorted and scratched at my insides even more.
'You lived long, right? For a human, living that long should be enough.'
When I heard this, I really wanted to slap her, but I exercised superhuman patience and demanded an apology once more.
But that girl didn't even pretend to listen.
That's how we fell out.
Even after the fight, I've come here several times, but like earlier, that girl and I look at each other like a cow looking at a chicken, a chicken looking at a cow, not saying a word.
Breaking the promise was definitely my fault, but this time I don't want to give in to that girl.
In the original work, the protagonists don't visit Luciel after learning all the magic.
Lee Ji-sung, well, he's originally a selfish guy whose character went to Andromeda, so that's understandable, but even Kim Do-hyun doesn't visit because he finds Luciel, who likes him, burdensome.
But I was planning to continue visiting that girl even after learning all the magic.
Even after learning all the theory, even when there's no paperwork to do, not just during sleeping time but also during lunch breaks, I consistently visited Luciel whenever there was nothing special.
I brought snacks that the protagonists didn't take care of, brought a laptop for the bored girl, and downloaded e-books and videos for her.
I accepted all her constant complaints about me being ugly and her nagging.
Unlike with Master, I learned magic through transactions, but I think I took care of that girl as much as Master did.
If only I hadn't visited that girl on the day Master disappeared, I could have at least had one last meal with Master.
That Luciel girl, instead of comforting...
Ugh, forget it.
Thinking more about it will only make my stomach burn.
Thinking I should just work, I turned on my laptop and started working.
After finishing the review and organizing, two hours had passed.
Actually, there wasn't much to revise, but my mind was unsettled, so work didn't go smoothly and took quite a while.
I can stay here for about thirteen more hours, but I'm thinking of going back right away.
People often say time heals all wounds, but being alone only deepens the depression.
I took out a leaf from the wallet in my pocket... Sigh.
Only one Demon Realm Tree leaf remains.
Going outside to pick leaves is an easy task, but leaves without Luciel's magic imprint have no effect.
I didn't want to speak first, but I have no choice.
I thought about just tearing it, but no matter what, this isn't right.
Coming outside the camping car, I can see Luciel sitting with her back against the Demon Realm Tree.
When she sees me looking at her, she turns her head away sharply. I thought about just tearing the leaf, but I held back and approached that girl.
"I have one Demon Realm Tree leaf left."
Fortunately, she turns her head toward me... No, this brat! She has an expression asking what I want her to do about it.
"If I use the last remaining one, for quite a long time... No, I might not be able to come here again."
Since to come here without Demon Realm Tree leaves, I'd have to cut the statue on the 3rd floor of the Black Temple.
I did learn warp magic, but warp magic is ultimately magic that moves through space.
There's no problem moving to Japan, but the Black Temple is inside a portal, and there are Self-Defense Forces at the portal entrance and inside.
Of course, I could break through if I put my mind to it.
But would I go through such complicated trouble to meet that girl again?
―If... If you apologize first, I might forgive you.
Forgive? Ridiculous.
"I already apologized last time for not keeping the promise."
―You didn't just apologize, you got angry at me!
"That's because you said Master was... Forget it."
No point in saying more - it'll just make my mouth hurt.
I took out the leaf from my wallet.