Grade Evaluation (5)
Grade Evaluation (5)
The moment Baek Woo-jin entered the Grand Auditorium.
"Hmm."
Namgung Min glanced at the firmly shut doors, then approached the young professor standing there looking half-dazed.
"Hey. Snap out of it."
"Ah, y-yes...?"
It wasn't exactly a common sight—celebrities you normally only see on the internet or TV, sprawled and face-planted on the floor.
"Sorry, but help me take off their outerwear and cover their faces with it."
"M-me, sir...?"
"You and I are the only ones still conscious. They're all passed out anyway, so it doesn't matter. Haha."
Namgung Min patted the young professor on the shoulder and headed first to Kang Min-ho, who'd been the first to go down.
"Nicely broken. Very artistic."
Of course, art was only beautiful when you were watching it from a distance. Being the one creating it—or the subject of it—was an entirely different, deeply unpleasant experience. So he was content to simply observe.
Namgung Min gathered the fallen men into one place and, while working, spoke to the professor helping him.
"What kind of man is he?"
"...Sir?"
"That Professor Baek."
"Ah, I... I don't know much. Today was the first time I've seen him in person since the faculty meeting."
"I see."
Still, it made sense. Even without knowing much, the moment someone higher up—someone who could take responsibility—arrived, the relief was understandable.
"...Though that rumor about him being from the same generation as the Chairman might actually be true."
"The Chairman?"
"Yes. The Chairman once told the faculty directly. He said Professor Baek holds the same level of authority as he does."
"Oh? Is that so?"
Namgung Min feigned casual interest, careful not to burden the young professor.
"At first, there was a lot of talk. Until recently, the most common rumor was that he got the job through connections—using the Executor as a parachute. But after seeing what happened today..."
Namgung Min said nothing, just nodded once.
Five major guild leaders, neutralized where they stood. He'd witnessed something that had startled even him. There was no way those rumors would keep circulating.
But what had startled Namgung Min was slightly different from what had shaken the young professor.
'That smooth, glossy skin belongs to a first-generation, same cohort as Chairman An Hyeon-do?'
He took pride in his own youthfulness, but Baek Woo-jin's skin, seen up close, had possessed a fresh vitality that was hard to compare to his own.
'I'm jealous.'
More than Baek Woo-jin's power, Namgung Min envied the mana that let him stay young longer.
"Alright. That should do it."
"..."
The young professor swallowed hard and stepped back.
Covering people's heads with their own outerwear was strange enough, but the sight of mana ropes tied around their necks like condemned prisoners was something else entirely.
"Word of advice: don't go blabbing about what you saw here today. I don't care personally, but these bastards have shit personalities."
"...Yes."
Namgung Min gave a nod, then took hold of the rope binding the five men and headed toward the Street of Light.
The most inconspicuous place under the circumstances—one that could keep a secret, and in a way, a faction connected to this incident.
-What the...?
-Namgung Min?
He passed a few security guards on patrol and some faculty members, but Namgung Min paid them little mind.
-I heard his youngest daughter enrolled...
-Looks like those idiots were trying to mess with her.
-Guess the Chairman's about to have another fight on his hands.
He already had two prior offenses on his record, so people didn't make a big deal of it. Thanks to that, he managed to reach his destination without much commotion, bizarre cargo dragging behind him and all.
"Excuse me."
"...?"
Lee Ye-sol, who'd been sitting in her usual spot passing the time, blinked at the sudden entrance.
"May I close the door first?"
"Ah... yes. Go ahead."
Namgung Min laid the five men, now even more ragged from being dragged, roughly on the floor and locked the temple door.
"First, these individuals are—"
"Iron Knight, Red Flame, Black Lion, Milky Way, and Star Cluster."
"Uh, yes. That's correct. Haha, I forgot for a moment where I was."
Coming to an organization with the best intelligence in the game and trying to explain who they were—his mind must have been more scattered than he'd thought.
"I'm the only one in the temple, so if you'd kindly remove what's covering their faces first, that would be appreciated."
"Of course."
Unlike when he'd covered them, Namgung Min made a light gesture with his hand and the outerwear draped over their faces split cleanly in half.
"May I ask what happened?"
"Ah, well."
Having already concluded that the Executor here and Baek Woo-jin were lovers, Namgung Min didn't hide much. He summarized what had happened in front of the Grand Auditorium for Lee Ye-sol.
"And so, I came here."
"Understood. I'll prepare something and return shortly. Please wait."
"Haha, yes."
He'd never heard that healing via holy power required separate preparation, but it wasn't his concern. Namgung Min sat down in an empty seat without giving it much thought.
In the meantime, Lee Ye-sol went up the stairs to the second floor and returned in under a minute. Namgung Min noticed nothing visibly different about her.
**
"It never ceases to amaze me."
Bent arms straightened. Twisted legs returned to their original positions. The phenomenon, like time rewinding, was something he'd witnessed and experienced more times than he could count. Even now, at his age, healing through holy power never failed to draw genuine admiration.
"All finished."
"Thank you for your hard work. Truly seamless."
Dragging them across the ground had left their clothes a mess, but their broken arms, shattered noses, twisted legs, and swollen foreheads—all had reverted to the state they'd been in before meeting Baek Woo-jin.
"Their arms and legs may feel a bit awkward for a day or two, but there won't be any lasting aftereffects."
"Even if there were, it'd be their own hard luck. Haha. Ah, as for the cost—tell me and I'll bill those bastards separately."
"There's no need."
Lee Ye-sol wiped a trace of sweat from her forehead and rose.
"I'll be resting upstairs. Please call me again when you're done."
"...?"
A priestess of the God of Amusement, famously meticulous with money, turning down payment and walking away—Namgung Min scratched the back of his head at the sight. And on top of that.
'Isn't it already done?'
All that seemed left was to shock them awake, yet she'd said to call for her again. The statement was puzzling, but dragging an exhausted person back was hardly polite. Namgung Min let her go without a word.
"Alright then."
As he'd said earlier, Namgung Min got up to wake the five still-unconscious men. The sooner they came to, the sooner he could wrap this situation up and head home.
He approached Kang Min-ho, intending to wake them in the order they'd fallen.
Crack—!!
The sound of something breaking came from behind him.
Turning his head, he found the latch he'd locked lying shattered on the floor.
Screeeeak.
For reasons unknown, the temple door opened slowly, accompanied by an eerie sound that hadn't been there when he'd opened it himself.
"Ah..."
A broken syllable fell from Namgung Min's lips.
The door was half-open. Through the gap seeped bright light, and brighter still, a woman with brilliant golden hair stepped into view.
Her cold gaze swept over Namgung Min and the five men sprawled behind him as she entered the temple and closed the door.
Boom—!!
It had looked like a gentle close, but the ground shook noisily. Namgung Min wet his lips for no good reason.
"Wake them."
At Claire's icy tone, Namgung Min scratched his head and nodded quietly.
'Did he say he likes chocolate...?'
Mulling over how to help his youngest daughter get closer to her best friend, Namgung Min slapped the cheeks of the five unconscious men in order.
**
After dinner.
"Okay~ Where could it be?"
-Pii... Piyat!!
Baek Ha-na, sitting on the study floor, swished her tail. The fairy plunged straight for it.
"Wrong~ It's right here!"
-Piyat?!
The fairy, which had been frantically searching the tail for chocolate, spotted the piece emerging from Baek Ha-na's left hand and gaped, beak wide open.
"Ahem."
Beside them, Claire recorded the scene on her smartphone.
I glanced at the clock on my desk, then called out.
"Baek Ha-na."
"Mm?"
The chocolate still wedged in the fairy's mouth, she looked up at me.
"Time to go back."
"Ugh..."
I turned the clock to show her.
"It's already nine...?"
-Piyung?
Cheeks bulging, the fairy followed Baek Ha-na's gaze toward the desk and tilted its head. Beside them, Claire's hands moved busily.
"Ngh, I don't wanna go..."
-Piyuang.
Baek Ha-na flopped onto the floor, and the fairy flopped right alongside her. It didn't mimic Claire, but it copied everything Baek Ha-na did. Beings on a similar wavelength really did seem to have some instinctive understanding.
"Break starts soon. If you want to come home on time, I suggest you finish your reflection paper properly and bring it with you."
"Nnngh...!"
Baek Ha-na shot upright, then—
Thwump—!
—latched onto Claire, who was seated in her chair, wrapping her arms around her waist and burying her face against her lap.
"H-Ha-na?"
"Big Sis..."
Baek Ha-na used the particular coaxing tone she reserved for wheedling.
"Half a notebook of reflection is way too much... Don't you think so too, big sis? Hm?"
"Ah, um, nngh..."
"Hmm?"
Perk—!
Her Trait Manifestation was supposed to be a wolf, but the way she was acting was pure fox.
-Piyang!
The fairy flew between Baek Ha-na's upright beast ears and looked up at Claire with the exact same expression.
"Nnngh..."
Claire's hands trembled where she held her smartphone. Then—
"P-Professor...?"
For the first time, she shot me a desperately pleading look. I'd planned to shorten the assignment anyway, so I answered her silent appeal.
"Five pages."
"Really?!"
I nodded and continued.
"In return, don't even think about coming back before break starts."
"Ngk..."
"If you don't like it, we'll stick to half—"
"No? I-I'm fine with it!"
Baek Ha-na scrambled to her feet, circled behind Claire, and plopped down next to me.
"Nrrrgh...!"
Just as she'd done to Claire, she wrapped her arms around my waist and rubbed her face against my thigh, like a beast marking its territory.
-Piyang?!
"Ah..."
The little scamp riding on her head couldn't handle the recoil and tumbled onto my other thigh.
"You okay?"
-Piyung~?
It could've just hopped off if it was too much.
The fairy's tiny eyes spun as it wobbled, then collapsed flat.
"Don't mind it. Time to go."
"Tch... I was gonna go anyway."
Baek Ha-na's lips jutted slightly as she stood up.
"Baek Ha-na."
"Mm?"
I had no intention of walking her out. I spoke from my chair.
"Playing around a bit is fine. But some people might feel like you're ignoring them."
"Huh?"
"If someone is being sincere with you, show some sincerity in return."
"...Got it."
"Good. Go straight back. No detours."
"I don't have anywhere to go, you know."
Baek Ha-na stuck out her tongue briefly, then fled the study.
"I'll see her to the entrance."
"Take this one with you."
Claire took the fairy from me and quietly followed Baek Ha-na out.
Alone now, I sat back in my chair, my gaze resting on the bluish light glowing across the desk.
-Piyang...
A small peep made me open my eyes. The two who'd gone out had returned to the study. The fairy, perhaps worn out from playing with Baek Ha-na—someone with a similar energy level for the first time in a while—fluttered its wings and retreated into the bedroom earlier than usual.
"Coffee, sir?"
"No."
I patted the spot beside me. A signal to sit.
"Claire."
"...Yes."
She'd begun glitching bit by bit the moment Baek Ha-na left. I asked her a question.
"The protected, or the protector. Which do you prefer?"
"...The protector."
Her unsteady gaze sharpened and steadied on me. I nodded at the firm conviction visible in her clear eyes.
"Why do you...?"
"I told you in the auditorium. I said I'd give you a chance to see Baek Ha-na's skills."
"...?"
Claire tilted her head.
I watched her hair shimmer faintly in the moonlight for a moment, then turned away.
"Get some rest. I'll be out even earlier tomorrow."
"Tomorrow as well, sir?"
"Do you mind?"
"No. Not at all."
When I started to turn my head again, Claire rose hastily.
"Th-then, please rest well..."
I watched her retreating figure flee into the bedroom, then opened the desk drawer.
"About time to switch to a new one."
Bathing in the soft moonlight, I picked up a pen to record today's log.