Ch 124
Became a swordsmanship instructor at the academy
Chapter 124
I was preparing warp magic, but while preparing the spell, it seemed like Mother might come to the bathroom, so I hastily tore a leaf.
The location you move to with Demon Realm Tree leaves is random, but this time it's right next to the Demon Realm Tree.
―Huh? What, I thought you were coming in a month, but you came early.
Luciel, who was playing guitar, says with a bright smile.
"Ah, well, something came up. I'm not staying long this time, just dropping by briefly."
―Then how long will you... What's that?
What Luciel is pointing at is the choker and cat ear headband that Se-jin entrusted to me.
"Ah... It's nothing."
I tried to immediately use subspace magic to put it away, but Luciel approached and snatched it away.
―It's not nothing, my gift... Huh?
"It's not yours, so give it back."
I approached to snatch it back, but she used Blink magic and disappeared, so I just grasped at air.
When I scattered my internal energy, she's up above.
I kicked off the ground and climbed up to the Demon Realm Tree branch where I felt her presence, but somehow her expression doesn't look normal.
"I told you it's not yours."
―You're right. It smells like a different human, not you.
"What smell, you're not a do... Huh?"
She suddenly throws it, but fortunately I succeed in catching it.
―Tell me straight. What were you doing before coming here?
"It's none of your business. If you go down, I'll give you chocolate bars, so just eat chocolate bars."
―Do you think I'm crazy about chocolate bars? I won't eat them!
Isn't she crazy about them though?
I was about to ask why she's acting like this, but she disappeared again.
It seems like she used Blink again, but the position caught by my scattered internal energy is a bit far.
I considered following but just returned to the camping car.
I don't know what's causing this behavior, but it'll probably resolve itself after a while.
First, I tried to use subspace magic to put away the headband and choker, but I see Kainakan crouching next to the camping car.
―When did you get here?
"Just now. Want to eat some jerky?"
―Jerky? Sounds good.
Kainakan's eyes light up.
I put away the headband and choker and took out several bags of jerky to give him.
He transforms to a small size and familiarly tears into it.
Watching him swallow, I entered the camping car and lay on the bed.
I closed my eyes thinking I'd take a quick nap, but Se-jin's appearance from earlier comes to mind.
I really never imagined she would act like that.
When she was at school, she was truly the very model of an honor student.
Well, anyway, it seems I'm more popular than I thought.
Teacher Kim too, and Se-jin as well...
Of course, Se-jin didn't confess directly.
But looking at her actions toward me, it's obvious without even seeing it.
If Mother hadn't come, she probably would have confessed right away.
It feels like just yesterday I was drinking kimchi soup at that hotel in London after the duel ended.
It seems that wasn't kimchi soup after all.
They say that once in life, there comes a time when you suddenly become popular with many women, and I guess now is that moment.
Being popular is nice, but it's a bit bewildering.
Teacher Kim is a colleague, but with Se-jin there's a master-disciple relationship...
All this time when the media and acquaintances suspected we might really be lovers, I kept saying no, but now to start dating would be a bit...
More than anything, I can definitively say I've never once thought of Se-jin as a woman.
If I reject her, it'll become awkward...
The wine I drank earlier must be hitting me now because my head hurts.
Ugh, I don't know.
I'll sleep first and think about it later, but Luciel appeared with blue light.
She dives straight onto the bed.
"What are you doing? You'll break the springs."
―Won't you really tell me what kind of work you were doing?
"What? It's nothing special. I'm a bit tired, so let's talk after I sleep."
―What do you mean it's nothing special? No, if it's nothing special, then tell me about it.
Why is she whining so much today...
"I have people who like me, but the situation is a bit complicated."
―What?
"What's with that expression?"
It's not like I said something unspeakable, but she looks completely disgusted.
―There are people who like someone as ugly as you?
"There you go again. Should I ban chocolate bars for a month?"
―That's petty, using food.
"It's just that your standards are impossibly high. I'm quite popular."
―Well... By human standards, that might be possible. So what's complicated about it? Tell me in detail.
I said what's there to tell, it's bothersome so go away, but Luciel persistently pestered me, so I briefly explained the situation.
―So your female colleague and the disciple you taught both like you?
"You understood well. Are we done? I'm going to sleep now, so please leave."
―You haven't talked about the conclusion yet. So what are you going to do?
"Why should I tell you that?"
―What?
Could this one like me too?
"Do you like me?"
―Wh-what nonsense! Acting like you don't know your place when you're so ugly.
It seems I was mistaken.
Well, Luciel is a terrible face-chaser.
This one who always calls me ugly liking me doesn't make sense.
"Then stop bothering me and please go out."
―Give me chocolate bars.
She said she wouldn't eat them earlier.
I was going to say something, but it was bothersome, so I used magic to take out two boxes of chocolate bars. She grabs the chocolate bar boxes and goes out.
That kid, it seems like she's doing that on purpose, but what's bothering her now...
Anyway, I can never figure out Luciel, I thought as I closed my eyes.
How much time had passed? When I opened my eyes, I saw the familiar ceiling.
Checking the time on my phone, about 8 hours had passed.
I only intended to close my eyes briefly, but I slept very deeply.
Is Luciel still in a bad mood?
Usually when I sleep and wake up here, eight or nine times out of ten, Luciel is next to me.
Normally she'd pester me saying she's bored and let's play, but seeing her absence, she seems to still be in a low-pressure mood.
I circulated my internal energy to completely dispel the remaining hangover and came outside.
―Did you sleep well?
"Yeah. Kainakan, have you been here the whole time? Should I give you some more jerky?"
―Sounds good.
I used magic to take out jerky for him.
"Where's Luciel?"
―If you mean Master, she's in front of the Demon Realm Tree. She said she's researching new magic and not to disturb her.
I thought she wasn't coming because she was sulking, but new research...
Curious, I went toward the Demon Realm Tree and saw Luciel with a serious expression drawing something on the ground.
There are lots of unknown characters and figures written. Some look like rune characters, but I can't tell from looking like this.
She seems quite concentrated, not even noticing I came beside her.
"What magic are you researching?"
―I'm busy, so don't talk to me.
Her attitude is quite cold.
Since she said she was researching magic, I thought her mood had completely improved.
"Hey, why are you like this? Tell me too."
―Ah, you're making me mess up my calculations, so don't talk to me!
"Ah... I got it."
She even snaps angrily, unlike herself.
She looks sensitive, so I felt like I wouldn't hear anything good if I stayed longer, so I returned to the camping car.
I thought about just going back, but it hadn't even been 9 hours since I came here.
In outside time, less than 20 minutes would have passed, so I can't go back right away.
First, I took out a lunchbox with subspace magic to satisfy my hunger.
Now I have no hangover, but thinking about yesterday's events still gives me a headache.
At least Teacher Kim said I don't have to give an answer right away, but Se-jin is different.
Looking at yesterday's behavior, she seems like she'll ask for an answer right away...
―Your expression doesn't look good. Do you have some worry?
"Kainakan, have you ever dated?"
―Dating? Are you perhaps talking about mating? I'm a life form created by Master, so through such inferior methods...
"Never mind, go away."
I was so frustrated I asked just in case, but what mating...
Ugh, I said something unnecessary.
I thought I'd do some mental cultivation to calm my complicated mind, but I just can't concentrate.
No matter how I think about it, that cat impact was too strong.
The memory is getting hazy now, but even when I dated in my previous life, none of my girlfriends ever did such an event for me.
Where on earth did she learn such bewitching things?
Hmm, I just haven't thought of her as a woman, but thinking about it, there's no one like Se-jin.
She's beautiful enough that even among our swordsmanship club kids, there were quite a few who liked her.
She said she turned them all down because she wasn't interested in romance, but she also said she received quite a lot of confessions.
Considering the prize money from the recent competition plus the inheritance Kim Dae-chan will pass down later, her wealth goes without saying.
Unlike Teacher Kim, she's also really good at cooking.
Moreover, while she was a student before, I wasn't even her homeroom teacher, and she's a proper adult now anyway.
The fact that I said no when scandals were raised is a bit problematic, but even that can be resolved by saying feelings developed as we got to know each other...
―Kang Shin-hyeok, look at me for a moment.
Before I knew it, Luciel is next to me.
"Huh? You said not to disturb you earlier, did you finish your research already?"
―It's not perfect yet, but I want to try it once. Follow me and help me a bit.
"Help you?"
―I don't have enough magic to cast it alone.
"You don't have enough magic?"
Luciel is the guardian of the Demon Realm Tree, so she can draw on the Demon Realm Tree's magic as much as she wants.
It should be virtually infinite.
―I need to inject magical power simultaneously.
"What kind of magic is it?"
―That... Just help me!
Look at this kid?
She's been prickly since yesterday, and now she's completely commanding.
I'm already troubled to death too...
"Is that the attitude of someone asking for help? Apologize for losing your temper yesterday and earlier, and say 'please help me' politely."
―Hmph! If you don't want to help, don't!
She gets angry and disappears carrying Kainakan.
I wonder if I should have just helped her, but if you pamper them too much, kids develop bad habits.
Of course, Luciel isn't a kid, but looking at her behavior, she's no different from one.
BANG!
Anyway, I was about to think again when an explosion sound comes from the Demon Realm Tree direction.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
I tried to ignore it at first, but explosive sounds ring out continuously, so I got up and headed toward the Demon Realm Tree.
Upon arrival, the first thing I see is a large magic circle made of various figures and densely packed rune characters.
In the corner, Kainakan lies collapsed, burned black.
It seems like magic failure side effects. While not as bad as Kainakan, Luciel's complexion is also pale.
I first used recovery magic on Kainakan while asking Luciel what magic she was doing.
―You said you wouldn't help. Mind your own business.
"How can you say that? The kid is in this state and you don't look good either."
―Then will you help?
"First explain what magic it is."
―I'll explain later, so help me first.
Something's suspicious...
―If you help me, I'll teach you that appearance-changing magic you mentioned before.
"Really?"
What's gotten into this one who was stubbornly refusing multiple requests, saying she couldn't teach it for impure purposes?
―When have I ever lied to you?
It was suspicious, but Luciel's condition looked bad so I was worried, and she also said she'd teach me Polymorph magic, so I agreed.
***
"Master, please eat chicken."
I tried to take a bite of the crispy chicken, but I can't taste it.
Wondering if this is some kind of illusion, I pinched my cheek and saw blue sky.
It was a dream.
It's already been 2 weeks since I fought Yeo Dong-bin and returned.
The camping car and all the items he brought had disappeared, and there was even a tombstone with my name carved on it, but I didn't give up hope.
That bastard Yeo Dong-bin said the time flow in the immortal realm is different from here, so at first I thought I might have returned too late, but that's not it.
The trees and grass around the cave haven't changed much.
I knew how much that kid Shin-hyeok thinks of me, even though he can be a bit slippery.
Of course, he'd threaten not to buy ramen every now and then, but that was just talk - he never actually did it even once.
Recently he hadn't been buying the foods I requested, saying he was busy with work, but he said there were circumstances for that too.
I believed in him.
Even if he thought I had ascended to immortality, seeing that he even made a tombstone, I thought he'd visit at least once to pay respects.
But it seems I was wrong.
Our stupid disciple probably thought setting up a tombstone was enough and hasn't come here for the past 2 weeks.
It's already been 2 weeks since I've eaten anything.
I want to eat ramen with spicy yet savory broth and plump noodles.
I want to take a big bite of crispy chicken dipped generously in sauce.
Dumplings bursting with juices too...
Damn it, this won't do.
If that stupid disciple won't come, I have no choice but to go to him.
What did that bastard Yeo Dong-bin do?
I drew my sword while trying to recall as much as possible.
