The First Day's Lessons
Seo Moon-kang-hyuk stared at the name in disbelief. "Seo Moon-jin."
Seo Moon-jin. He never expected to hear that name again. It belonged to his eldest son—the boy he had cast out seventeen years ago, the one he had long assumed was dead.
'A coincidence?'
Seo Moon-kang-hyuk could not bring himself to believe that the Seo Moon-jin mentioned in Seo Moon-hyun's report was the same person as his firstborn. The report claimed this Seo Moon-jin was only a year older than Seo Moon-hyun, had delivered the freshman representative speech after achieving the highest entrance scores, and was the heir to the Yucheon Group. Despite sharing the same age, hair color, and name as the talentless child he had expelled, the connections felt impossible to reconcile.
"You. Contact the press immediately and have them send over photos of today's freshman representative."
"Yes, Patriarch."
He needed visual confirmation. Seo Moon-kang-hyuk ordered his secretary to obtain photographs of the young man who had stood on the podium. With so many journalists present for the representative's speech, pictures would be plentiful. True to his expectations, the secretary returned within five minutes and respectfully handed over his phone.
"Here is the photo of Seo Moon-jin."
"Hmm."
Seo Moon-kang-hyuk took the device and examined the image. Black hair, black eyes—just as the reports had described. Yet the striking resemblance to Seo Moon-hyun only deepened his suspicion.
'Is it really him? No, even if he awakened magic, the idea that he became the Yucheon Group's heir is absurd. They would never appoint that boy as their successor.'
The photograph left him more confused than before. That same day, he dismissed Seo Moon-hyun's suspicions about their sister, Seo Moon-min-hye. The notion that she had congratulated someone other than her own brother out of spite seemed laughable, and Seo Moon-hyun's feelings were no longer his concern.
'If that boy truly is my son, I might be able to lure him in and seize the Yucheon Group for myself.'
If Seo Moon-jin was genuinely his child, replacing Seo Moon-hyun became a viable option. The fact that his hair remained black instead of the Seo family's signature blue was troubling, yet the boy had clearly awakened magic. Talent alone could overlook such a minor detail, allowing him to inherit the family headship.
'Even if he isn't my son...'
Seo Moon-min-hye had been reported standing unusually close to him—close enough to suggest they might be lovers. That opened several possibilities.
'First, Seo Moon-jin could truly be my son, spending time with his own younger sister. Second, he might not be my son at all, but simply infatuated with Seo Moon-min-hye.'
If the latter were true, Seo Moon-min-hye could leverage a marriage alliance with the Yucheon Group to oust Seo Moon-hyun and claim the headship herself. If the former, Seo Moon-jin would bring the Yucheon Group with him and assume the role of family head. Lost in these pleasant fantasies, Seo Moon-kang-hyuk issued new orders.
"Focus on gathering information about Seo Moon-min-hye for now. Investigating the Yucheon Group's heir directly would invite unnecessary backlash, so limit the scope to her."
"Understood, Patriarch."
Seo Moon-kang-hyuk chose to observe for the time being.
* * *
"My lord. Seo Moon-kang-hyuk has now seen your face."
Inside a building, a black-haired beauty delivered her report as though she had witnessed the scene firsthand. Seo Moon-jin listened to the cold, arrogant, and haughty woman and offered praise.
"Good work, Lucifer. I'm preparing dinner with Min-hye right now, so we'll talk later."
After commending the Demon of Pride, Seo Moon-jin ended the call. Once the connection severed, a smile bloomed across Lucifer's previously icy expression.
'My lord seems genuinely fond of the young lady.'
Seo Moon-min-hye was undeniably beautiful. Though she shared blood with her lord, that fact posed no issue. There would be no genetic complications.
'Besides the young lady, there are four other candidates. This is my lord's affair, and my only duty is to collect information. I should set aside any personal interest.'
Operating publicly under the name Lucia, she held no official title and worked alone, selectively forwarding intelligence to her lord, Seo Moon-jin. The energy she sensed on Hero Island was particularly unsettling.
'The place where magic power gathers most densely is the Republic of Korea, and within it, Hero Island concentrates the greatest amount. Something major will happen within the next few years.'
The world regarded Korea as a blessed land. Of the world's top one thousand heroes, only the bottom fifty had no connection to the country. Even those without Korean citizenship had studied at its academies and resided there for years.
'It isn't merely residence that matters—attending a Korean academy is the key.'
That was why Arian Liberin, princess of the Liberin Kingdom, had deliberately come to study abroad. Countless other international students had done the same. The National Hero Academy stood above them all as the most prestigious and fastest path to power. Yet that very prestige meant it would one day become the most dangerous place of all.
KWAAAAAAAH!
She could already hear the thunderous roar of a colossal dragon echoing in her ears. Her lord would naturally have sensed it as well, and so would the other summons. The presence of a being from another dimension, waiting for the worlds to connect so it could invade—this was the Eternal Dragon, Terenity. Aside from her lord and their allies, the world remained oblivious, but the threat posed by the dragon had already begun.
* * *
"It's ready. Min-hye, try some."
"Okay!"
I smiled in satisfaction as I looked at the dishes spread across the table. I rarely cooked myself due to the hassle, yet among the skills I had synchronized, cooking was one I had maxed out through the editor. Perhaps because of that, the meals I prepared tasted exceptionally good. Combined with expensive, high-quality ingredients and rare dungeon materials, the flavor became truly special.
"Ah!"
Seo Moon-min-hye took a spoonful of the soup I had made and let out an exclamation of delight. A warm sense of pride filled me.
"Oppa, it's so delicious! You should eat too."
"Yeah, I will."
I sat beside her and tasted my own portion. The flavor was excellent, though I did not feel the same overwhelming emotion she did. Perhaps it was because I had cooked it myself. While Seo Moon-min-hye savored every drop, her tongue and palate clearly enchanted, I found my attention drifting more toward her than the soup.
'Even her profile is beautiful.'
I watched the spoon disappear between her lips, her expression filled with quiet joy. In all the seven years we had spent together, this was the first time I had cooked for her. We had always eaten at restaurants before.
Swish—
I casually placed my hand on her thigh. The smooth skin revealed beneath her hot pants sent a thrill through my fingertips. Seo Moon-min-hye accepted the touch without protest. Normally she would have responded with playful teasing, but right now she seemed completely absorbed in eating.
"If you want more, I'll give you more, but don't fill up on soup alone. There's still plenty of food left."
"Okay! I won't. I'm really looking forward to your other dishes too~ Hehe."
"Well, they cost a fortune, after all."
"They do... You said these ingredients are expensive, right?"
"That's right. More expensive than gold by weight. They're on par with Almas caviar."
At those words, Seo Moon-min-hye's expression stiffened slightly. Almas caviar, after all, cost twenty-eight million won per kilogram.
"Don't feel pressured, though. To me, it's just an occasional special meal for my pretty little Min-hye."
"U-uh, okay. Thank you, Oppa."
Seeing her slightly deflated, I lifted my hand from her thigh and gave it a gentle pat.
"I told you not to worry. Just enjoy it. To me, spending time with you is worth far more than any of this."
"Oppa..."
Seo Moon-min-hye looked moved, but I could not fully enjoy the moment. 'This is dangerous.' Her lips kept drawing my gaze. Suppressing the rising desire within me, I forced myself to maintain a gentle smile.
* * *
After finishing our meal together, Seo Moon-min-hye and I took a leisurely tour of the house I had secured for her. It was a four-story mansion, far more luxurious than my apartment dorm. Once the tour ended, she changed into her pajamas and fell asleep early, never once contacting the Seo family. She lay on the bed, breathing softly and peacefully.
'Completely defenseless.'
Watching her sleep so vulnerably in her nightclothes, her long blue hair spread across the sheets, I felt my thoughts wander. I did not want to leave this place. Yet I had to.
'I need to return to the dorm early and show that I'm preparing for tomorrow's classes.'
The image I had to project at the National Hero Academy was that of a diligent, outstanding student. So I set aside my reluctance and prepared to depart.
"Well then, Min-hye, sleep well."
"Mmm~ Little Oppa... Dad... they're really bad people..."
Even in her sleep, she murmured her resentment toward Seo Moon-kang-hyuk and Seo Moon-hyun. Unable to resist the impulse any longer, I leaned down and pressed a light kiss to her sleeping lips. Having stolen Seo Moon-min-hye's first kiss while she slept, I hurried back to my dorm before any further attachment could form.
* * *
The National Hero Academy had an unusually large number of students per year, which meant its classrooms were equally distinctive. All one thousand first-year students attended the same classes together, with division into separate classes beginning only in the second year. Consequently, the lecture halls for freshmen were exceptionally spacious.
'The first class is theory.'
At the National Hero Academy, the curriculum began with theoretical lessons before moving on to practical training.