Ch 199
Became a swordsmanship instructor at the academy
Chapter 199
"You said we're not going from Incheon but entering the island from the harbor, right?"
"Yeah. One of the freshmen said he has a villa and offered to provide the location."
"A villa? His family must be well-off?"
"His dad is the president of Hwasin Electronics."
"Oh... really? It's fascinating that a chaebol heir is also becoming a Hunter."
"Even if he's not from a chaebol family, I still like our dad the most."
"Me too."
"You girls. Do you both need pocket money?"
"It's fine. There won't be anywhere to spend money on the island anyway."
"Still, if you want to see the market or something..."
"It's student council membership training, so the school covers everything, so it's okay."
"Huh? We're here. Looking at the kids gathered over there, that must be the place."
"Dad, the trunk."
"Yeah."
I got out of the car with my sister and grabbed our bags.
"Both of you be careful."
"Yes. We'll be back."
"Thank you for giving us a ride."
"It's only natural. Call if anything happens. And here."
He takes out two 50,000 won bills and hands them to us.
"Really, it's fine."
"After the MT ends, eat something delicious with your friends. Use it for transportation when you come back too."
He insisted on giving it to us, so we took it and arrived where the kids were gathered.
"Hello, Jinsu."
"Eunsu, Eunseo, you're here? I already did the headcount. Minhee went shopping with the second-years."
"Oh, really? Are we a bit late? You both came early and had a hard time."
"Jinsu, are all the kids here?"
"All the second-years are here, but 2 first-years haven't arrived yet."
"Which first-years?"
"Ji-sung and Chan-seong. Ji-sung contacted Do-hyun saying he's almost here. Chan-seong isn't answering his phone. The kids say he's probably at school."
"Chan-seong contacted me this morning saying he can't come because he caught a cold."
"A cold in summer? Isn't he just being lazy and making excuses? When all the seniors came, a first-year is skipping."
"Lee Jinsu, what are you saying when you don't even know the situation properly?"
"Why... why are you like that? Even if he's sick, he could at least answer the phone."
"He might not be able to answer because he took medicine and is sleeping. When I talked to him earlier, his voice really sounded sick."
"Is... is that so?"
"Seong Eunseo, you could have said it nicely though. Why are you being so irritable?"
I was already annoyed that I couldn't go with Teacher, and when Jinsu slandered Teacher, I reacted intensely without realizing it.
"Sorry."
"It's fine. What you said wasn't wrong either, Eunseo... But as expected, we only have our president. Private Jinsu, I will devote my loyalty to the president."
"Be loyal to Minhee, not me."
"I'm already doing that. Huh? Isn't that Ji-sung over there? Wow, chaebols really are different."
Looking in the direction Jinsu is pointing, I can see Lee Ji-sung getting out of a black car.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"The car he came in is one of only five in the country. It has bulletproof functions and even the basic options cost over 1 billion won."
"But it's not his anyway."
"Well, that's true."
"Seniors, I'm sorry for being late."
He approaches and bows politely.
"You came right on time though?"
"We should be grateful instead. Thanks to you providing the villa, we could save a lot of budget."
"Right. Thanks to you, Ji-sung, our meal plan will be more abundant. Minhee said she'd even buy Korean beef since we saved on lodging costs."
"Oh, that's great."
Both my sister and Jinsu are reacting favorably to Lee Ji-sung.
And for good reason - unlike the rumors of him being a troublemaker, he doesn't cause accidents, and aside from providing the villa this time, he doesn't show off about his wealthy family.
Rather, he's quite agreeable, so not just those two but everyone else views him favorably.
But I don't particularly warm up to him.
I get the feeling he's somewhat fake.
Well, maybe it's because he suddenly confessed at the entrance ceremony, giving me a bad first impression...
"Um, Senior Jinsu, what about the other people? We need to board the boat at 12 o'clock."
"They went shopping, so they'll be back soon. You said there is charcoal and a grill, right?"
"Yes. Um, but..."
"Why? Is there a problem?"
"It's not that, but the secretary said he prepared various things at the villa. I didn't hear the details, but I think there might be some water and food prepared when we get there..."
"Really? If you had told us earlier, we would have said to buy just enough."
"I only heard from the secretary after we all got here... I'm sorry."
"What are you sorry for? We're grateful."
"Right. Even if things are prepared, the kids all eat well, so there probably won't be leftovers, right? Having too much is better than not having enough."
"As expected of our president."
While chatting and waiting, the kids who went shopping returned.
We divided up the luggage and arrived near the harbor.
"Eunseo and I will go to the ticket office."
"Uh? Um... Senior, you don't need to buy tickets."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"The boat you can take with tickets from the ticket office only runs once a day, and that's the 8:30 AM boat."
"What? Didn't you say we'd take the boat at 12 o'clock earlier?"
"The secretary said he prepared a separate boat. We should be able to just go and board it."
"Really?"
Following Lee Ji-sung, we headed to the dock with the kids, and he stopped in front of a large yacht that stood out among the small fishing boats.
"Welcome. I've been waiting."
A man in a neat white uniform bows and greets us.
"Hello."
"Wow, this boat looks really nice?"
"It must be really expensive."
"I don't know the price either. My father bought it as a hobby long ago."
Everyone is making a fuss and causing a commotion.
Honestly, I was a bit surprised too, but it feels like showing off wealth, so I still don't like it.
We rode the boat for an hour and arrived at the island.
I could see a few shabby houses and wondered if those were the villas, but when the boat went a little further and stopped, I could see a stylishly built villa on the coastline.
"Wow, this is really amazing."
"The ocean is right in front."
"Incredible."
Everyone exclaimed as they got off the boat and headed to the villa.
About five staff members came out to greet us, saying they manage the villa, and helped us move our luggage.
The villa facilities were really good.
Not only was there electricity, but hot water flowed well, there were tons of rooms, beds, and even a separate barbecue area was prepared.
"Eunseo, I heard there's a karaoke machine in the basement, and there's also a bowling alley and billiard room. Aren't the facilities amazing?"
Even if we went to a decent pension, there wouldn't be facilities like this.
Rich people really live in a different world.
"Yeah."
"I heard earlier that this entire island belongs to Hwasin Group."
"I got it, so hurry up and change clothes. We need to go down and prepare lunch."
"Got it. Just a moment."
I came down to the kitchen with the kids, and the caretaker lady was organizing the luggage we brought.
"We could do it ourselves..."
"I'm already done. You bought a lot of ingredients?"
"There's no restaurant, so we have to cook everything ourselves for 2 days and 1 night."
"We also went shopping separately yesterday after getting a call from the secretary."
There are 3 refrigerators alone, and when I opened them, there were various meats and seafood, vegetables and fruits, basic sauces like red pepper paste and soy sauce, and various salad dressings... there really was nothing missing.
It's no exaggeration to say they moved an entire mart here.
"All the ingredients here were purchased for you all, so use them freely."
"Ah, thank you."
We made pasta and salad for lunch.
The caretaker lady also helped us from the side.
She said she used to work at a hotel, so she gave us various advice, and it tasted several times better than what we usually made.
All the kids liked it too.
After finishing the meal, we all came out to the ocean.
Honestly, I didn't really want to come out.
I was worried about Teacher and wanted to stay in the room to call him, but my sister said that since it's membership training, we shouldn't act individually and should all do things together, so I had no choice.
We came out to the beach, warmed up together, and jumped into the ocean, but I sat on a sun bed on the beach.
"Eunseo, aren't you going in?"
"Sister, I'm going to the bathroom."
"You just went. Hurry up and come back."
"Yeah."
I made an excuse and went to the villa while calling Teacher, but he didn't answer.
Is he still sleeping?
I decided to at least send him photos, so I sent pictures of the ocean I took while riding the boat, the villa, and the pasta we ate for lunch.
I thought sending a selfie might cheer him up, so I was about to take a photo when I felt someone behind me.
"Are you taking a photo? Should I help you?"
I turned around and it was Lee Ji-sung.
***
Zhang Sambong said that once I master Absolute Domain, I'll be freed from Master's flicks and can even give him one back.
I really resolved to work hard, but the training method for this Absolute Domain is incredibly complex.
"Then how do you train for it?"
"As I said before, Absolute Domain isn't about imposing your will on the world like Formless Sword, but becoming one with the world itself. This part is most important."
As he spoke, Zhang Sambong smoothly disappeared like smoke.
Then through mental transmission, he said to start by feeling the world and told me to find him.
I immediately spread my internal energy and started searching, but amazingly, I couldn't feel anything.
As if he didn't exist in this space, Zhang Sambong's energy couldn't be found anywhere.
"I'm here."
I turned around and he was grinning, but there was no presence or any feeling at all.
Afterward, he hid again and said this time he wouldn't reveal himself first, so I should find him again, then disappeared.
That was seven hours ago.
The sun passed its zenith and set, and darkness fell, but I still can't get the hang of it.
I'm starting to wonder if he went somewhere else, but about an hour after he hid, I heard a mental transmission telling me not to rely on internal energy and to try feeling the world.
SIGH, now I know I can't find him with internal energy either.
But what does it mean to suddenly feel the world...
I closed my eyes and concentrated, but I still couldn't feel anything... Huh?
I opened my eyes at the sudden presence I felt, but it wasn't Zhang Sambong, it was Luciel.
"What are you doing alone all this time? Aren't you going to eat dinner?"
"I'm training."
"What kind of training are you doing alone? That old man who's supposed to be Master's friend isn't here either."
"He's around here somewhere. He's hiding so you can't see him."
"He's nearby? Even if he used invisibility magic, I should be able to detect his presence, but I don't feel anything."
"It's not a method like invisibility magic."
"I don't know. You didn't even eat lunch. Go eat first."
I told her to go eat first, but Luciel stubbornly said she wouldn't go if I didn't go.
"Master Zhang, please come out now. Let's eat dinner and continue afterward."
There was no answer.
"Should we go by ourselves? Come out quickly. Eat and then continue."
Even though Luciel spoke up, Zhang Sambong didn't show himself.
In the end, I returned to the camping car with Luciel, and there was a delicious smell.
Is Master preparing dinner in advance?
I thought it was strange since he usually doesn't lift a finger, but Master and Master Zhang were behind the camping car, lighting a campfire and grilling meat.
"You're back?"
"Just getting here?"
Just getting here? What the heck?
"Why are you here?"
"BURP. It was mealtime, so I came."
Ah, did he come first after hearing our conversation?
Then he should have said something... no, something's strange.
In the corner of the campfire, dozens of crushed beer cans, green soju bottles, and about ten green makgeolli PET bottles were rolling around.
He drank all that in such a short time?
If they drank together I'd understand, but our Master doesn't particularly like makgeolli usually.
Even now, Master is drinking canned beer, not makgeolli.
"Soju and beer are good, but makgeolli is the best. Yu-ryang, don't you have more of this?"
"Shin-hyeok, this guy likes makgeolli unlike me. Get some more makgeolli and meat from inside, and go to the refrigerator to get more canned beer... Why are you like that?"
"Master, when did Master Zhang arrive here?"
"Around 2 o'clock earlier? How was your training?"
Two o'clock is exactly when he told me that nonsense about not relying on internal energy and feeling the world.
"KUUU, this is quite something."
He told me to find him, then came here and threw a drinking party with Master from broad daylight?
Looking at Zhang Sambong with his flushed face continuously gulping down makgeolli, my fists are itching.
SIGH, I can't really punch him...
"Ah, no. I'll be back."
From Master's perspective, it might be a bit unfair, but he's been making me work constantly, and while his disciple is struggling in vain, he's throwing a drinking party in broad daylight with the guy who made me struggle in vain. Most importantly, Zhang Sambong is clearly Master's friend.
I think I need to properly teach Master the concept of joint responsibility on this occasion.
I immediately went to the camping car and opened the refrigerator, and it was almost empty, probably because they had a party in broad daylight.
I immediately used spatial magic to retrieve all the remaining frozen foods, alcohol, drinks, snacks, and ramen.
Then I used teleportation magic to move to the portal entrance and exited the portal.