ch 257
Became a Swordsmanship Instructor at the Academy
Chapter 257
"Then I'll visit again at that time."
Just as I was about to answer that I understood, the world regained its color again.
―Shin-hyeok? Can't you hear me? From New York...
―New York? Ah, that's right.
―What? You weren't listening to me and were thinking about something else?
I forgot because the conversation with the Primordial Heavenly Honored One was quite long.
Luciel probably didn't notice.
―New York is fine. For now, at the portal... no, shall we talk for a moment at the Demon Realm Tree?
I don't need to go to New York right now.
The Primordial Heavenly Honored One personally told me that the Demon King will descend in two days.
―What do you want to talk about? I'm there anyway. Then I'll go to Se-jin.
―No, I need you who's here now to come over there too.
―Do I have to?
―I have something important to discuss.
―Alright.
After hearing Luciel's answer, I also took out a leaf from my wallet and tore it.
My vision changed instantly.
Under the blue field and the large Demon Realm Tree, Luciel stood with six white wings spread.
"What important matter do you suddenly have to discuss?"
"Actually, I met the Primordial Heavenly Honored One a little while ago."
"The Primordial Heavenly Honored One? Ah! That kid who came with Master's friend last time?"
Kek
"Master explained it last time."
"His appearance was that of a kid. So?"
Well, Luciel's words aren't wrong either, and that's not what's important right now anyway.
I told Luciel everything while she looked at me with a puzzled expression.
The Demon King will descend in two days, but the real enemy isn't the Demon King but Demon God, and what that Demon God is targeting is you, Luciel...
"Because of me?"
She looks surprised, so it seems she didn't know either.
I thought she knew since she said she'd stay holed up here after awakening.
"So Luciel, you have to stay here."
This place was originally part of the Demon Realm, but after the battle with the Demon King, Luciel separated it using the power of the Demon Realm Tree.
In this place that belongs to the dimensional gap, even the Demon King cannot sense Luciel and cannot cause any harm.
"I knew I shouldn't go out... Alright. The kids can come, so it doesn't matter, but give my regards to Master."
"I'm not saying you have to stay here forever, you know? I promised."
"Huh?"
"Two days, which is 60 days in this place's time, so it's a bit long, but you just have to endure that time."
"Two days? Wait, if I'm here, won't the Demon King not appear?"
"That's not it. Even if you're here, Luciel, the Demon King will still descend."
"Then there's no reason for me to be here. What about the Demon God..."
"What about it? I'll go and take care of it."
I playfully made a gesture of cutting my throat, but Luciel's expression remained serious.
"I don't want to."
"What don't you want?"
"I said I don't want to! Why are you fighting the Demon God alone? I can help too."
"Um... Luciel, who are you worried about right now? I'm enough by myself."
"It's not the Demon King but the Demon God!"
"The Primordial Heavenly Honored One said that even the Demon King wouldn't be difficult for me to handle at my current level."
"It's the Demon God. It'll be much stronger than the Demon King."
"I might struggle a bit, but don't you trust me? This is a bit disappointing. I'm fine."
"Who decided you're fine? I don't like it."
"This isn't a matter of liking or not liking it."
"We can fight together too!"
This is frustrating.
"Luciel..."
"The old man said it too. Don't try to carry everything by yourself. But why do you keep saying you'll go alone? What, am I a hindrance?"
"That's right. If we go together, I'll be worried about you and won't be able to fight properly. You're a hindrance, so stay here."
"I'm not weak enough to drag you down..."
"Luciel, I don't like seeing you in dangerous situations."
"That's the same for me too."
She really doesn't trust me.
Or maybe... no, that can't be it.
Thinking I had no choice, I hugged Luciel.
"D-doing this won't...!"
"Luciel."
"What?"
"Even if you don't trust me, you can trust our Master, right?"
"The old man?"
"That's right. I'm not going alone. I'll take Master with me too."
"What? You're going with the old man? Then you should have said so from the beginning."
Now seeming relieved, she pushes me away and hits my chest.
"Ow, that hurts."
"You deserve it. This idiot made me worry for nothing... No, wait. The old man can't leave the portal because of the Heavenly Realm, right?"
"In principle, yes, but the opponent is the Demon God. Since the Demon God isn't a being of this world either, they said they'd turn a blind eye just this once."
"The old man always said the Heavenly Realm guys have no flexibility at all, but I guess that was just nonsense..."
"Don't change the subject. Luciel, since you didn't trust me, you'll have to receive some punishment, right?"
"No, I do trust Shin-hyeok..."
She acts cute in a hurry, but it's useless.
"Choo-choo puff-puff, the train has already left. Let's just take ten hits."
"No, would you hit such a cute angel like me? Where would you even hit me..."
"Ahem, I'll flick your forehead, so close your eyes."
When I spoke firmly with a stern voice, she closed her eyes while grimacing.
I lightly kissed the tense Luciel's lips.
"Wh-what kind of punishment is this?"
"Really? It'll get gradually stronger, you know? Will you be okay?"
"...I'll be okay."
She speaks with her cheeks flushed red from embarrassment.
"I'll give you the rest of the punishment after I come back, so wait quietly."
"Ah... okay."
I hugged Luciel again and patted her head once.
"I'll tell Eunseo and Se-jin to drop by whenever they have time."
"I said okay."
I looked at Luciel once more before tearing the leaf.
I wanted to keep her in my sight a little longer, but I felt like I'd be caught.
Caught lying.
Like Master said, the Heavenly Realm truly has no flexibility.
The Primordial Heavenly Honored One warned me strongly.
If Master tries to help me by leaving the portal, they'll have no choice but to take Master away at that moment.
***
Both Eunseo and Se-jin look quite surprised.
"Both sister and brother won't be there... what does that mean?"
"Honey?"
"There isn't just one Demon King."
"Huh?"
"Besides the one appearing in New York in two days, there's another Demon King."
In reality, it's the Demon God, but if I say Demon God, it might sound even stronger and they'd worry more, so I changed it to Demon King.
"Then sister and brother are going to catch that other Demon King?"
"No. I'm going to catch the Demon King alone."
"Honey, you're going alone?"
"Yeah. Luciel is an angel, so the compatibility isn't good. You both heard the story about how I treated Luciel's wounds from the Demon King before."
"Ah, that did happen."
"But still, really alone..."
"There's no point in taking her along since I'd have to fight while worrying about Luciel too. It's much better to fight alone."
"..."
Even though I said Demon King instead of Demon God, they both look worried about me like Luciel did.
"This is getting a bit disappointing? Don't both of you trust me?"
"Of course we trust you. We trust you, but..."
"If you trust me, shouldn't there be no 'but'?"
When I spoke playfully with a grin, both their expressions relaxed.
"I trust you!"
"Me too... Then Se-jin and I have to handle the Demon King appearing in New York."
"No."
"Huh?"
"Why would just you two go? Ah, of course you two would be enough, but take the Hwasin Guild kids too."
"The Hwasin Guild kids... you mean Ji-sung?"
"Yeah."
I'd like to tell them to leave it to Lee Ji-sung and Kim Do-hyun and for these two to stay out of it, but...
If those two handle the Demon King, all the credit would go to Hwasin Guild, so Se-jin would absolutely not allow it.
I'm a bit worried, but all the demons that appeared so far weren't significantly different from the original, so I don't think the Demon King will be particularly stronger either.
In the original, the Demon King was something Lee Ji-sung could beat up alone, but this time it's four people: Se-jin, Eunseo, Ji-sung, and Do-hyun.
Originally, Kim Do-hyun challenges the Trial of Origin to handle the Demon King without any damage.
Lee Ji-sung returns only after several years even after defeating the Demon King, and he asked me this time too if he should challenge the Trial of Origin to handle the Demon King.
My answer was naturally impossible.
Challenging the Trial of Origin would just waste time and worry his family.
Kim Do-hyun and Lee Ji-sung have already reached the original's level.
Eunseo is at a similar level to those two, and Se-jin is about half a level above the three, so a Demon King should be sufficient.
Most importantly, even the Primordial Heavenly Honored One said the Demon King isn't that strong.
"Oh, it's two days in this place's time, but 60 days over there, so Luciel will be quite bored. Drop by often."
"I was going to go now anyway. I'm planning to go there to sleep too."
"I'll also drop by when sleeping and doing paperwork, so don't worry."
"Ah, there's something else I didn't mention... I told Luciel I'd go with Master, so please play along."
"Huh?"
"Why did you lie like that?"
"She insisted on following when I said I'd go alone. I was afraid she'd get hurt if I said she'd be a hindrance. Luciel has strong pride, you know."
"True."
"Sister would be hurt if she heard."
"Right? So please cooperate, both of you."
"But sister will really scold you later when she finds out..."
"I'll handle that."
"Okay."
They say you get better at lying with practice, and both of them seem to have been completely fooled.
Well, they both trust my words completely.
Still, Se-jin is a bit dense, but Eunseo even saw through my Polymorph magic last time as a habit, so I was a bit worried, but fortunately... no, can I call this fortunate?
I'm sorry, but there's no choice.
If I had told the truth, both would have been strongly opposed.
After explaining a bit more and eating, I made an excuse about going to spar with Master to aid digestion and used teleportation magic.
When I entered the portal where Master was, Master came out to greet me.
Recently, he rarely comes out saying it's bothersome, so it's probably because I haven't been here in a while.
"I'm about to forget your face, Shin-hyeok."
"Are you finally getting dementia?"
"This brat! Sigh, never mind. Didn't Luciel come with you?"
"Luciel decided to stay in her original place for two days."
"Why?"
"She said she got the hang of magic research. She said she could complete it in about two days..."
"I think she'll fail again... She should learn martial arts in that time."
"I know, right. Did you ask me to buy anything? Should I go buy it?"
"No, never mind. Haven't you been very busy lately?"
"Still, I put out the urgent fires. So I came today to play with Master for once."
"Did you fight with the girls?"
"No, fight? I was worried Master would be lonely since I've been neglecting you lately, so I was being considerate, but this is disappointing."
"Hmph, as if. And what? Play with me? Am I a child?"
"Ey, just say you're happy if you're happy."
"What's there to be happy about? I know you're going to bother me asking for a spar again. No way."
"When was there ever a 'no way'? Playing and eating every day... Argh!"
I got flicked on the head.
"Stop hitting me. Your disciple's head will get stupid."
"Then you should have dodged better."
This is ridiculous.
Is this what someone who hit should say?
"Your mouth is really running wild. You should get hit for playing word games with your heaven-like Master!"
"I bought some Chinese food and alcohol thinking of Master when I went to China yesterday. I guess you don't want to have them."
Master's eyes became literally twice as big at the mention of Chinese food and alcohol.
"Ahem, just now it wasn't serious, my hand slipped..."
"As if."
"Well, then shall I blow on it for you?"
He immediately comes close and blows air on my head - our Master is really consistent.
"I'll give it to you even if you don't do that, so let's go to the camper. Let's have a drink between master and disciple after a long time. Ah, I'm staying overnight today."
"Why sleep here when you have a home? You said no, but you got kicked out after fighting. Who did you fight with? It can't be Luciel since she went to do research, so Se-jin? Eunseo? Both maybe?"
"If you keep doing that, I'll subtract one dish and one bottle of alcohol."
Master immediately shuts his mouth tight, and I can't help but laugh.
If I tell the truth, Master will nine out of ten times... no, ten out of ten times try to help me, but...
Still, I have no choice but to lie.