A Lesson in Courtesy
As Gwak Chunsik made his entrance alongside the elders, the gazes of those around us began to flock in our direction.
“You’re here, Senior!”
“Welcome, Senior!”
“We respect you, Senior!”
Even though they were just old men standing with their hands behind their backs, the heroes showered them with greetings simply for stepping into the banquet hall. But the man standing before me now could only gape at the elders, who were even older than him.
“Hey. Man-seok.”
“Uh…… what the……”
“Man-seok. Speak properly, yeah? Should I go full old-school on you?”
“……What brings you and all these other seniors here?”
Kang Man-seok, who had been brimming with confidence just moments ago, deflated in an instant as he shot back the question. This was exactly why he hadn’t wanted to bring Gwak Chunsik in from Gangwon Province. The man outranked him as a senior—and wielded power and influence far greater than his own.
“What else? Came to see my disciple.”
“Your…… disciple?”
In response to Kang Man-seok’s question, Gwak Chunsik strode over with heavy steps and casually placed a hand on my shoulder.
“This is the kid you locked up with soundproof magic and fed all that nonsense to. He’s my disciple.”
“Pardon? Disciple…… you don’t mean from the dojo……”
“Nah. He’s my successor in the Oresik style.”
At Gwak Chunsik’s words, the guy’s jaw dropped in a daze.
“……Oresik?”
“Yeah. But it looks like some damn fly’s been buzzing around, dirtying up my disciple. Doesn’t sit right with this senior.”
While Gwak Chunsik laid into Kang Man-seok, I did my best to keep a straight face, forcing the corners of my mouth to stay firm. It was because I’d seen that dumbstruck look on his face somewhere before.
Was it during that challenge to assassinate the chairman naked? Yeah, he had that exact face when he woke up.
But I couldn’t let myself laugh now, given the situation. If I did, the whole point of bringing in Gwak Chunsik and the other elders would go down the drain.
“Eugene.”
Gwak Chunsik called my name.
“Yes, Master.”
“What’d this punk say to you?”
“……He told me to join him. Asked why I was siding with the academy.”
“And?”
“He threatened me, demanded I spill who’s backing me.”
I muttered it as softly as I could, and Kang Man-seok shot me an aggrieved glare.
“No, when did I ever──”
“Man-seok. My disciple’s talking. You listening?”
“Senior. But this kid’s painting me as some weirdo right now.”
“You saying my disciple’s lying? You, of all people?”
Kang Man-seok backed off for a moment, then wore a blank expression before letting out a hollow laugh. “Ha!”
“No way…… You planned this from the start?”
“No idea what you’re on about.”
“Fair enough. You’d have reason to hold a grudge against me, Senior. After you left for Gangwon, I was the one who gained the most.”
True to his position as chairman, he’d already pieced it together—and stared down Gwak Chunsik with remarkable poise.
“Senior. I’m the Hero Association chairman of Korea now. Even as a senior, shouldn’t you show some respect?”
“Ha, respect? Respect……”
The old man tapped his fingers thoughtfully, pretending to mull it over. Then his mouth opened again.
“Haha, looks like our Man-seok’s forgotten his manners. Good thing I brought some. Hey, folks. Seems our Man-seok’s lost his.”
At Gwak Chunsik’s words, two elders who’d been standing quietly stepped forward, raising their left and right hands respectively.
“Man-seok. You didn’t forget us old timers are nicknamed the Manners Injectors, did ya?”
“Lately, the support coming into Silver Town from the association’s been dropping. You really forget your manners?”
The banquet hall’s atmosphere chilled in an instant. It felt like a fight could break out any second—but I alone stayed calm, watching the scene unfold. After all, one of Korea’s strongest elders hadn’t arrived yet.
“Eugene.”
That’s when Choi Yeon tugged at the hem of my clothes from behind.
“He’s here.”
“Yeah.”
Right on cue, the door opened, and another elder appeared. Choi Yeon wiped the cream from her mouth with a tissue and waved her hand.
“Grandpa. Over here.”
“Yeon! There’s my granddaughter. But…… Man-seok and Chunsik? What’s going on?”
He’d arrived. Another of the ultimate elders: Sword Immortal Choi Seonho.
“……Senior.”
“What’s going on, I asked?”
Most people didn’t know this about Choi Seonho, but he placed terrifying importance on seniority. Raised in the Cheongcheon Sword Clan, he took the class system as gospel. In short, a Confucian Taliban.
“Man-seok. Unless I’m seeing things wrong, are you talking back to Chunsik? Chunsik, who’s in the same class as me?”
“N-no, it’s not like that……”
“Looks like we need to have a little chat…… Chunsik. Kids are eating here, so how about we step out?”
“Sounds good. Cheongsam. Chuncheol. Let’s go.”
“Aigoo~ Yeah, that’s the way.”
“Pu-dak-geo-ri good~.”
The Chun brothers, who’d answered in dialect, suddenly approached me and patted my shoulder with beaming smiles.
“Keep studying hard, Eugene.”
“Ah…… yes.”
“Train hard! Your sense is a gift from heaven, so polish it and you’ll get strong quick. Got it?”
“I’ll keep it in mind always.”
“Kehkeh. Yeah, yeah. Alright, let’s go. Don’t disturb the young’uns eating.”
The two elders’ log-thick arms draped over the chairman’s shoulders from both sides, dragging him away.
With that, the storm of elders blew through the banquet hall and vanished.
“Grandpa seemed mad……”
Choi Yeon, who’d watched quietly from the side, muttered with her emotionless face before sitting back down and demolishing her dessert like nothing happened. How could she risk her life on dessert with all that going on right next to her……?
That’s when it hit me—the dessert’s shape looked familiar. It was from the Recipe Development Club. Was she eating it like that because she knew it had buffs? Trying to get stronger while eating?
“……Guess I’ll eat.”
For some reason, I suddenly felt hungry.
* * *
In the end, the closing ceremony fell to Park Yunho, the grade chief. Word was, the president had left with the other elders and hadn’t returned. I checked with Elder Gwak Chunsik, and he said it was no big deal. They’d just collectively chewed out the chairman, then gone for drinks with Sword Immortal Elder, whom they hadn’t seen in ages. The president got swept up and tagged along.
So, my plan to summon the elders and Gangwon heroes to pressure the chairman had succeeded.
I hadn’t prepared it from the start. Seeing the chairman and Lee Won-ho give their speeches, and Ji Suhyun’s furious expression, sparked the idea.
Send Ji Suhyun to Gangwon for the elders. Have Elder Gwak Chunsik, backed by them, strut into the banquet and openly flaunt our master-disciple bond to check the chairman. Choi Yeon calling in Sword Immortal Elder was a huge assist too.
Thanks to that, the chairman and other visiting heroes would rethink my existence. From academy vice-chief’s seat and Gwak Chunsik’s disciple. From “talented student” to “student with something behind him.” Even basic checks on me turned up little, and my visible background alone was untouchable for a freshman.
Untouchable. Truly someone they couldn’t mess with lightly.
The gains were plenty: trust from the president and pro-academy teachers. Boosted my presence. Deterred hostile forces. And as a bonus, expanded Famiglia’s influence, with me as chief.
“Normal War……”
Suddenly, Jinwoo Bivalt muttered beside me, catching my ear.
“What?”
“You know, the Normal War. Where the world’s strongest gather for war. What just happened in the banquet hall was a total Normal War. Past great heroes visiting the academy’s sprouts to bring peace!”
……The nuance was way off, but not entirely wrong, so I got the gist.
“But why doesn’t peace come to us? Why do we have classes even on freshman welcome dayyy!!”
He wailed dramatically, like in a Shakespeare play.
As Jinwoo said, after lunch and the closing ceremony, we’d returned to our homeroom to wait.
“Can’t be helped. Skipping classes now means falling behind. Mentoring makes up for absences with online lectures, right, Se-young?”
Progress was paramount…… nothing could stop it. Though time remained until class, Sea-a, who’d been watching lectures online, pulled out her earbuds and joined in.
“By the way, Jinwoo, you watching the online stuff? They said it counts as absent if you don’t.”
“Oh, that? I just play it in the background while gaming. Works fine.”
She sighed in exasperation at his matter-of-fact reply.
“What about exams?”
“Exams? Cram the night before, it’ll work out. Listening to every single lecture like you is what’s weird. Right, Boss?”
“Huh?”
The arrow flew my way, drawing even Sea-a’s gaze.
……If I said I just played them in the background too, Jinwoo’d puff up and Sea-a’d be disappointed. Time for the model answer, calmly.
“……If it’s for exams, you have to watch.”
“See?! You’re the only gamer!”
“No, that’s actually normal?!”
I knew most of the content already, so I skipped. Not the case for Jinwoo.
“Fail an exam, and club activities get banned, plus remedial classes…… Better study a bit, no?”
If he flunked, it’d mess with club time.
“R-remedials? Never heard that!”
“……It’s standard, so yeah. Why not review now? Midterms are coming.”
Jinwoo clenched his fist, resolute, like vowing.
“……I trust future Jinwoo! Future Jinwoo! I’m counting on you!”
He’d curse past Jinwoo later, no doubt. Obvious as video.
We were chatting with the kids to kill time when Youngje, who’d gone out on an instructor’s call, returned sighing.
“Everyone, focus up.”
With class looming, it had to be announcements. Spot on—Youngje spoke.
“Basic medical skills class is canceled—practice room half-destroyed. Swapped for another.”
Substitute class? As I wondered—
“Outdoor class. Everyone out of the academy.”
Youngje sighed like it was a huge hassle.