Ch 75
Became a swordsmanship instructor at the academy
Chapter 75
Three weeks have already passed since I came down to Gangwon Province.
After Teacher Kim and Hong Lee Seol joined, we spent weekdays conquering portals and weekends teaching Se-jin.
"You didn't forget anything, right?"
"No. I've packed everything."
The WHCU competition is held alternately in four countries: the United States, England, France, and Russia, and this year's WHCU competition is being held in London.
There are still about 4 days left until the competition begins, but since there's a time difference with Korea, we're departing today for conditioning management.
"Do well and come back."
"With Se-jin's skills, winning is a sure thing. Don't be nervous and just do as you always do."
"Ah, thank you for your support."
"Teacher Kang, take care as well."
"You both should be careful going up too."
After greeting Teacher Kim and Hong Lee Seol, I departed for Gimpo Airport with Se-jin.
"Aren't you sleepy? It takes a little over 2 hours, so if you're sleepy, sleep a bit."
"I'm fine. Anyway, even if I board the plane, it'll take almost 12 hours, so I can sleep then."
"It takes that long?"
"When I searched online, it said it takes about 12 hours. But it's better than the United States I went to last year. That took over 14 hours."
"Taking a plane is also a hardship."
"But since it's first class, it won't be that uncomfortable."
"First class? Did you book it?"
"When I went last year and the year before, the association booked first class for everything, so I think they'll do the same this year."
"I've always only taken economy class... Thanks to you, I'm living luxuriously."
Since coming here, I've only taken a plane when going to Jeju Island, and even in my previous life, I'd only been to neighboring Japan a few times overseas, so I always took economy.
While talking with Se-jin, we arrived at Gimpo Airport before I knew it.
We parked the car in the parking lot and entered the airport dragging our luggage, but there were quite a lot of people with cameras from outside.
‘Is some celebrity coming?’
"Teacher Kang, over here."
Huh? It's the vice principal.
"My daughter!"
Did Kim Dae-chan come too?
Well, if the vice principal is accompanying us, it would be stranger if Kim Dae-chan the parent didn't accompany us.
Since there are many watching eyes, he approaches Se-jin calling her name very happily, which is truly disgusting beyond words.
‘After trying to use his daughter as a tool.’
Next to him is some lady who looks a lot like Se-jin, so she must be her mother.
"It's Kim Se-jin!"
I was about to greet the vice principal and her mother, but after someone's shout, people with cameras rushed toward us.
Now I see, they came because of Se-jin, not a celebrity.
I heard from Teacher Kim in advance that the vice principal would accompany us, but I didn't hear about doing interviews or anything like that...
"Kim Se-jin, please look this way once."
"Yes?"
"They want to interview our daughter. We still have time, so it's fine, right? Please take pretty pictures of our daughter. If you take strange pictures and upload them, I'll sue you."
‘Huh…’
Other people would think of him as a father who really cherishes his daughter.
He's truly the ultimate king of hypocrisy.
"Go do the interview. I'll go ahead and check in."
"Ah, yes. I'll come quickly too."
"Wait a moment. Aren't you Teacher Kang Shin-hyeok who's in charge of training student Se-jin? Teacher Kang, please do the interview together."
"Right. Teacher Kang should do it together too."
"I don't particularly have anything to say."
"Didn't you say in the interview after the martial arts competition that student Kim Se-jin would win? You were so confident then, but have you changed your mind?"
‘This is ridiculous.’
I was trying to leave because I hated seeing Kim Dae-chan act like a good father, but they're making assumptions on their own.
‘That's why they get called trashy reporters.’
"You know well. I said I had nothing to say because I already said everything I needed to say last time."
"Then you still think student Kim Se-jin here will win, right?"
‘This is really annoying.’
"You know about WH Toto, right? I got consent from Se-jin before betting."
"Consent... Don't tell me you bet on another student?"
"Why would I do such a stupid thing?"
"No, you just said you got consent..."
"I didn't get consent to choose another student, but because of the betting limit."
"Limit?"
"I bet my entire fortune on Se-jin's victory. I even took out loans to the maximum limit."
***
First class.
I thought it was just going comfortably in a spacious seat, but it's truly a new world.
From the start, I could board the plane immediately without standing in line, and as soon as I sat down, they gave me nuts and champagne as a welcome drink.
The meal menu and accompanying alcohol are diverse and I can order whatever I want, and they even say they'll cook ramen if I ask for it. This is why people say first, first.
"Do you need anything else?"
"Ah, I'm fine."
Even when taking economy, I never particularly felt that the flight attendants were unfriendly, but the flight attendants here are so kind that they seem like they'd do anything if I asked.
‘Only people who've eaten meat eat it, but they're actually so overly kind that it feels slightly uncomfortable.’
But it doesn't seem to be just because I'm a first-class passenger.
[You're so handsome. If you have time, please contact 010-8xxx-2xxx once.]
[Please contact 010-5xxx-6xxx. London is fine for the day of arrival and the next day.]
Because notes like these were attached behind the snacks the stewardesses brought.
Both of them were beauties... I won't be able to contact them right away since I have a schedule in London and need to look after Se-jin, but I put the notes in my wallet for now.
They offered to make the bed, so I went to the bathroom briefly and came out, and I ran into the vice principal.
"Oh, Teacher Kang! Good timing. Are you going to sleep right away?"
"Yes?"
"I heard there's a bar in the back. How about a drink before sleeping?"
‘There's a bar on the plane?’
I don't particularly want alcohol, but it's also a suggestion from my workplace superior, and I'm curious about what it looks like, so I followed the vice principal.
After passing through business class, there really is a bar. Honestly, it's a bit cramped to call it a bar, but considering it's a limited space called an airplane, it's decent.
There's even a sofa to sit on, and a flight attendant makes cocktails directly, making me think once again that money is good.
"Teacher Kang, is what you said earlier true?"
"Yes?"
"That you bet your entire fortune."
"It's true. I sold all my stocks and took out all the loans I could and threw it all in. Vice Principal, did you bet on another student?"
"Uh... Well, I did bet on Se-jin too..."
‘Bet?’
"Your answer is vague, so it seems you didn't put everything on Se-jin... That's too much."
"No, well... Anyway, unlike you, I didn't get consent or anything, but I still put 500 dollars on Se-jin."
"Only 500 dollars?"
"Only? If Se-jin wins as you say, it'll be several thousand dollars, so it's a profit anyway, isn't it?"
"It's not profit. Se-jin's victory odds are 20.4 times, so you lost exactly 10,200 dollars."
Bianca, who's considered a strong championship candidate, recorded the lowest odds in history at 1.03 times, so I thought Se-jin might go up to 25 times if things went well, but it was lower than I thought.
‘Is it because I boldly declared in the last interview that Se-jin would win?’
Besides the interview, since Se-jin is representing South Korea, there must be people who made mindless patriotic bets on Se-jin.
"So how much did you bet?"
"It's a secret."
"How petty. What's wrong with telling me a little?"
"Well, it'll be enough that I won't have to worry about money from now on."
"That Conrad guy's daughter isn't easy... You might become a beggar doing that."
‘This old man is really cursing.’
"You're really too much. It's not even a student from another school, but Se-jin from our school is representing us, so you should cheer for Se-jin."
"Of course I'm cheering for Se-jin..."
"If you're cheering, why did you only bet half? It's only a thousand dollars at most."
"Well... Honestly, don't most other people predict that Bianca will win? You might not know well since you haven't actually seen her, but having observed both last year's and the year before's competitions, I honestly think it'll be difficult for Se-jin."
"Vice Principal, do you remember when you dueled with me before summer vacation?"
"Do you take me for a senile old man? How long has it been... Of course I remember."
"I'm really glad you remember. Then you'll understand quickly."
"Understand what?"
"There's not much difference between me at that time and Se-jin now."
"Hey, don't lie."
"When have I ever lied to you, Principal?"
***
The WHCU competition is held for 5 days, and the participating countries vary slightly each year, but it's usually 64 participants.
Yesterday, the first day, the opening ceremony was held along with the group draw.
On the plane to London, both the vice principal and everyone else seemed to look down on Se-jin too much, so I thought it would be good if we met Bianca early and defeated her, but our Se-jin drew number 2.
And the number Bianca drew was 64.
In WHCU, numbers 1 and 2 face each other, and the winner faces the winner of 3 and 4, so it seems we'll meet Bianca in the finals.
Kim Dae-chan was happy, saying we avoided a difficult opponent.
Korean media are also making a fuss, saying that although the first match will be burdensome, the bracket luck is good since we avoided Bianca, a strong championship candidate.
I really don't like this situation.
"Se-jin."
"Yes?"
Se-jin's first opponent is a Ukrainian spearman who uses an unusually shaped spear.
"Since it's the first match, let's make an impact. Don't go easy and finish as quickly as possible."
"Yes! I'll be back soon."
Se-jin went up to the dueling arena, and the opponent came up shortly after.
The referee had them bow in greeting and blew the whistle.
‘Did 10 seconds pass?’
The match was over.
As soon as the whistle sounded, Se-jin quickly rushed at the opponent and knocked away the spear.
It was a really anticlimactic match, but the round of 32 wasn't much different from the round of 64.
No, it was actually easier.
The opponent in the round of 32 was an Italian magician.
Perhaps trying to copy Bianca's strategy from last year, he quickly used binding magic with Memories from the start, but Se-jin shouted a battle cry, shattered the magic, rushed forward, and pointed his sword at the magician's neck.
Magic-type students are given a 50-meter distance, 30 meters longer than the usual 20 meters, but for Se-jin, who can easily cover 100 meters in 6 seconds when using internal energy, it's just a means to delay a few more seconds.
Round of 64: 11 seconds, Round of 32: 18 seconds. With results like these, Se-jin would receive the most attention, so I thought Se-jin wouldn't be ignored anymore.
But the student who received the most attention and became the topic of conversation was Bianca, last year's winner.
Of course, she didn't receive attention simply for being last year's winner.
Bianca, who was known as a magician, came out with a sword and defeated a Brazilian martial artist and a Polish swordsman in succession.
Both matches were decided later than Se-jin's, but that didn't matter at all.
Because Bianca didn't use magic even once in both matches.
The matches were one thing, but I was really surprised after seeing the post-match interview.
"I've already won twice with magic, right? This time I want to try winning once with a sword."
"Then are you planning not to use magic at all in this WHCU competition?"
"Well. Still, since I'm participating representing our England, I'll use it if it's urgent... But is there a student who can make me do that?"
It's truly an arrogant statement, but as a two-time consecutive winner, she has enough qualifications to say such things.
What surprised me wasn't this part.
"Swordsmen and magicians have completely different magic properties and even different colors, so how are you able to use a sword?"
"Thanks to the research I was doing. Actually, I was thinking of not participating in this competition and going to get research materials, but my father got them for me on my birthday."
"Vice Chairman Conrad?"
"Yes. Thanks to that, I completed the theory and came to prove it myself. I plan to organize and officially announce it after the competition, so please look forward to it."
Even in the original work, the original protagonist Kim Do-hyun is a swordsman, so even if he learns internal energy methods, he can't use magic.
Using magic and sword simultaneously is only done by the possessed protagonist Lee Ji-sung, who was originally a magician.
Of course, unlike the original, this time my selling of the Giant Sand Worm's corpse completed Bianca's research, but even if I hadn't sold it and things proceeded as in the original, Bianca would have run away and obtained the Giant Sand Worm's corpse herself.
If Bianca could use both magic and sword in the original work, there's no way it wouldn't be mentioned in the original, and her importance wouldn't be so small either.
‘Something's strange.’