The Envy of a Hero
Following the guidance of Ya Mi-ang, the priestess on duty, Bukjin and Ak Hong-hyang made their way to the annex. The moment they opened the door and stepped inside, they heard the distinct sound of martial arts. Turning their heads, they saw Cho Heun, clad in a light blue swordsman's uniform, moving fluidly under a jujube tree, performing a series of leg techniques. Despite having no arms, his movements were incredibly agile.
Han Bul-bu and Ban Oemin stood to the side, watching Cho Heun with continuous exclamations of awe. Baek Geum-un was nowhere to be seen.
Bukjin wore a bewildered expression. The scene unfolding before him was entirely different from what he had imagined. He had expected Cho Heun, given the severity of his injuries, to be lying half-dead in bed, battling his illness. He had even considered the possibility that Cho Heun might be enduring intense pain while shamelessly flirting with a beautiful priestess. But to be practicing leg techniques? That was beyond his wildest imagination.
"Huh? Is that Bukjin and Hong-hyang?"
Cho Heun stumbled, then stopped in place. He smiled at Ak Hong-hyang and nodded. But when his gaze shifted to Bukjin, his expression suddenly turned grim.
"Skipping class again, are we?!"
"..."
Bukjin felt a pang of doubt. Was this how one treated the benefactor who had saved their life?
"I'll go back and catch up on my missed classes," Bukjin replied meekly, not wanting to provoke Cho Heun. On the surface, Cho Heun seemed perfectly fine. His condition appeared excellent, but Bukjin wondered if he was merely putting on a brave face, a common trope in movies.
"Oh?" Cho Heun said, surprised. "Since when did you become so obedient?"
Bukjin replied, "I've always been a model student who studies diligently."
"Hmph! You're quite good at spouting nonsense," Cho Heun scoffed, flapping his empty sleeves. "I'll assume you've finally matured and started listening! After all, I won't be able to scold you anymore."
Hearing his words, Bukjin asked, "What do you mean? Are you saying there's no way to save you?"
At Bukjin's words, Cho Heun's anger flared, and he swung his empty sleeves even more vigorously, shouting at Bukjin, "You brat! Look at the way you talk! You're the one beyond salvation! I'm still full of vigor!"
Han Bul-bu, who had been listening to their conversation, quickly interjected, "Dean Cho has resigned from his position as the academy's grade dean."
Han Bul-bu's injuries were not severe, and after treatment from the priestesses, he had already made a full recovery. Aside from a slightly pale complexion, his Hyeongi and physical condition had returned to normal.
Cho Heun nodded at Han Bul-bu's words. "Having lost both arms, I've lost the qualification to continue as grade dean. Moreover, I need a long period of recuperation. I'll also need to learn martial arts that utilize my legs, so I no longer have the capacity to manage academy affairs."
If Cho Heun had only given one reason for his resignation, Bukjin might have tried to persuade him. But with a second and third reason immediately following, Bukjin had no choice but to remain silent.
"Greetings, Dean Ban," Bukjin said, bowing to Ban Oemin. Ban Oemin still had bandages wrapped around various parts of his body, with traces of blood seeping through them. It was a clear indication of how severely he had been wounded in that day's battle. Fortunately, his injuries were not fatal, and with proper recovery over time, he would be able to return to his normal life without any lasting effects.
Ban Oemin, receiving Bukjin's greeting, wore a proud expression.
"Bukjin, I heard you performed exceptionally well this time, eradicating all the bandits on Bukhwang Mountain and raising the name of our 3rd Academy. Thanks to you, we'll be able to send at least five more students to next year's Academic & Martial Arts Competition preliminaries. The entire academy is grateful to you."
"It's possible to increase the number of participants in the Academic & Martial Arts Competition?" Bukjin asked, hearing this for the first time.
Cho Heun nodded and replied, "Regardless of how many qualified students each academy has for the Academic & Martial Arts Competition, an academy that achieves sufficient merit is granted special permission to send at least five additional students. Everything you accomplished on Bukhwang Mountain is considered a first-grade merit."
"A first-grade merit? Is there a reward too?" Bukjin's eyes sparkled as he asked, "Will the academy give me a reward?"
Seeing Bukjin's reaction, Cho Heun and Ban Oemin were speechless.
After a brief conversation, Bukjin soon performed his healing technique for Ban Oemin and Han Bul-bu. Since their injuries were already well into recovery, Bukjin's repeated use of his healing technique completely healed their wounds. The two men, having witnessed Bukjin's extraordinary healing countless times, seemed accustomed to its incredible effects.
However, Ya Mi-ang, the priestess on duty who had been observing the entire situation from the side, was greatly shocked.
It's even more effective than the healing arts performed with the temple's divine spring?!
Ya Mi-ang realized that this was no ordinary matter and decided she needed to report it to Jin Ju-je. Soon, Ya Mi-ang made an excuse, turned, and left.
A moment later, Bukjin remembered the Cheonma-yuseong-bi. He downloaded the file he had uploaded to the Storage app, generated a paper document, and presented it to Cho Heun.
"Th-this is...? Where did you get this?!" Cho Heun exclaimed, greatly astonished as he received the alchemy blueprint.
"Will this be effective for Dean Cho's current condition?" Bukjin countered. He hadn't yet thought of an excuse for where he had obtained the blueprint.
Cho Heun meticulously examined the four blueprints, then said as if his mind had been jolted awake, "Effective? It's more than effective! This is... like being reborn! If a metal arm is made according to what's written here, it won't just be as skillful as my original arm, but its power... it's almost frightening."
"If you successfully create the metal arm, you won't need to resign, right?" Bukjin asked.
"If the contents written on these four blueprints are true and can be realized, not only will I not need to retire, but I wouldn't even fear challenging Principal Im Tae-heo. Hahahaha!" Cho Heun replied.
...Dean Cho! Aren't you getting a little too excited?!
Cho Heun examined the blueprints once more, then handed them to Ban Oemin. Ban Oemin was not only an experienced chef but also a Hyeonmun Jinbeopsa (Formation Master). After carefully reviewing the alchemy blueprints, Ban Oemin said, "How peculiar. This is an incredible item. It's designed with astonishing brilliance. Even theoretically, this Cheonma-yuseong-bi alchemy blueprint is an invaluable treasure."
Cho Heun nodded in agreement. Then, looking at Bukjin, he asked, "You, where did you get this blueprint?"
Bukjin had already thought of an answer while the two men were talking.
"My father gave it to me a long time ago," Bukjin said, using his father as an excuse. After all, Bukjin's father, Jeon-cheon-hu, was currently missing, whether alive or dead, and Cho Heun and Ban Oemin couldn't find him even if they wanted to.
Hearing Bukjin's words, Cho Heun and Ban Oemin both wore expressions that seemed to say, "Of course." The alchemy blueprint Bukjin had produced was an invaluable item that ordinary people couldn't find or possess. But if it belonged to Im Geun-nam, a legend of the empire, it made sense. The two men thought that perhaps Im Geun-nam had dedicated his strength and effort to finding this blueprint to give a new life to generals who had lost arms or legs due to injuries in war. But unfortunately...
The two grade deans sighed inwardly.
"I'd like you to entrust this blueprint to me for now. I need to find an expert to research it. After fully understanding the manufacturing method, I'll procure the materials and attempt to create it," Cho Heun said.
"Don't worry. I'll find trustworthy people to proceed with this, and I won't easily expose this information. Once I've finished creating a prosthetic arm for myself, I'll definitely return the blueprint to you."
Hearing his words, Bukjin said as if it didn't matter at all, "It's fine. I'll leave this blueprint with Dean Cho. You might need to use it again later, you know."
Cho Heun, silent for a moment, suddenly began to hit Bukjin.
"Are you cursing this old man now?! Use it again?! Are you saying I should lose both my legs in addition to my arms?!" he shouted in an angry voice.
Ban Oemin burst into laughter, and Han Bul-bu and Ak Hong-hyang secretly chuckled.
After the commotion, Bukjin, Ak Hong-hyang, and Han Bul-bu left the Temple of the Lord of Swords. Cho Heun and Ban Oemin remained at the temple, still requiring treatment.
On the carriage ride back to the academy, Han Bul-bu cautiously observed Bukjin.
"Brother Han, is there something on my face?" Bukjin asked.
Han Bul-bu's eyes were filled with admiration.
"I truly never imagined it. To think Junior Brother Im single-handedly annihilated the bandits of Bukhwang Mountain! Even the Unmong-wi couldn't accomplish such a feat. Now, I don't think anything Junior Brother Im does will surprise me."
Bukjin showed no humility whatsoever, saying, "I'm a genius, after all! Hahaha!"
Han Bul-bu nodded, seemingly unwilling to admit it but having no choice.
Bukjin said, "Oh, right. How did Junior Sister Baek and Brother Han escape that day?"
At Bukjin's words, Han Bul-bu's face darkened.
"It's truly shameful to speak of," he said, embarrassed. "That day, Dean Ban risked his life in battle, opening a path for Junior Sister Baek and me to escape. After leaving the river, the two of us became separated from Dean Ban and were continuously pursued by the evil adventurers. The situation was dire, and I, exhausted from continuous fighting, lost consciousness. When I woke up, I was already on Junior Sister Baek's back, having arrived at the outskirts of Unmong City."
"What?" Bukjin said, surprised. "So... Junior Sister Baek saved Brother Han?"
"Precisely," Han Bul-bu confirmed. "By all rights, as the senior, I should have been protecting Junior Sister Baek... But when I awoke, my life had already been saved by her, and I couldn't even recall how it happened. Junior Sister Baek had suffered severe injuries to save me, and her white clothes were stained crimson with blood."
Bukjin leaned back against the carriage seat and said, "I'm truly envious! To wake up and find yourself out of danger!"
Han Bul-bu's face flushed red. If anyone else had spoken like that, Han Bul-bu would have been furious. But Bukjin's personality... it was hard to describe.