The Academy's Savior
Dinner was held in the living room. With not only the Sejin Group chairman's family but the company presidents in attendance as well, the gathering numbered a full forty people.
The seat of honor, of course, belonged to Chairman Ha Heon-shin. Beside him sat a middle-aged man.
The vice chairman, was it? I figured Ha Jun-soo would be sitting next to the chairman… unexpected.
The vice chairman of Sejin Group was not of Ha Heon-shin's bloodline. His name was Kwon Seong-o, a loyal retainer who had served Ha Heon-shin for over thirty years. I didn't know the inner workings of Sejin Group all that well, but it was clear the man had the chairman's trust.
Ha Seung-hee's father died years ago, and her mother is overseas, if I remember right.
The seat after the vice chairman went to Secretary Choi — the chairman's right hand. Next to him sat Ha Jun-soo, with Kang Nami beside him, smiling with her eyes. Across from them sat Ha Seung-hee and me.
I looked at Ha Seung-hee. Only moments ago she had been writhing and whimpering beneath me; now she moved her chopsticks with a prim, composed face. Her pussy and ass were still full of my cum.
I suppressed a laugh and picked up my utensils.
"Is the food to your liking?"
"It's excellent. I'd love to meet the chef sometime."
"Glad it suits your palate. I'll introduce you to the chef later."
The meal continued. With the chairman not speaking, the only sounds were the clink of silverware.
After dinner, the subsidiary presidents drifted off one by one.
I should be heading out myself.
I took my leave of Ha Heon-shin and Ha Seung-hee and stepped out toward the garden. While looking around the grounds, I spotted Kang Nami walking alone. The way she kept glancing about made it seem like she was searching for something. The moment she saw me, she smiled with her eyes and slipped back into the mansion as if nothing had happened.
Something about her behavior felt off. But using it as an excuse to press her would have been improper, and there were far too many eyes around to simply walk over and strike up a conversation.
Maybe I'm overthinking it. I'd like a chance to talk with Kang Nami properly next time.
I left the grand mansion behind me.
"Secretary Choi. Seong Yujin. What do you make of him?"
Seated in his usual place in the study, Ha Heon-shin asked the question. Secretary Choi, standing beside him, glanced out the window. Seong Yujin was walking out beyond the garden. Choi narrowed his eyes and watched the young man's gait carefully.
"Remarkable. He didn't flinch in front of me or the presidents — and he never lost his composure even before you, Chairman. And it wasn't an act."
"And?"
"I watched him closely during dinner. His hands moved freely, yet there was a quiet refinement to them. He's clearly been taught table manners. There may be… secrets we've overlooked."
"Drop it. Table manners don't matter. What matters is his talent — and that's what I want your opinion on."
"…If we're speaking purely of talent as a hunter… I believe he could rival you, Chairman."
"Why do you say that?"
"He's only twenty-three. At that age he already has skill on par with an A-Rank, and he even managed to wound you."
"Compare him to Han Ayeong. Who do you think has more talent?"
"As I understand it, Han Ayeong took four years to reach A-Class hunter caliber. Seong Yujin, by contrast, has been a formal hunter for less than three years."
"So you see him as a genius beyond even Han Ayeong."
"…Yes. I do."
Secretary Choi answered carefully. It was the first time Ha Heon-shin had ever asked for his opinion on someone's talent.
"I… don't know."
"Sir?"
"I can't tell whether he's a genius or a dullard."
"Seong Yujin wounded you, Chairman. Among his peers, he has no equal — that's certain. And even the young master… I don't believe he could guarantee a win against Seong Yujin."
"True. But did you know? His combat style is not the combat style of a genius."
"……?"
Secretary Choi didn't understand. He thought back to the sparring match from a few hours earlier — the way the young man had driven Ha Heon-shin with lightning, pressing him hard. That wasn't a genius's way of fighting?
"His Yeongcheon-ryu technique was perfect. Already at a master's level. That much is beyond debate. But everything else about him is not the work of a genius. Inspiration. Natural gift. I didn't sense a trace of either."
"B-but the sparring match between Seong Yujin and you was extraordinary. I know you weren't fighting him seriously, Chairman — but even accounting for that, Seong Yujin was outstanding."
"That's experience. A vast amount of combat experience that doesn't belong in that young body — that's what makes him look like a genius. More than that, he's still hiding something. He held a trump card in reserve. I felt it clearly during the match. …He may be hiding not one thing, but several."
"I'll have Seong Yujin investigated again."
"No need. The Association is already watching him — if we leave any trail, it'll only cause trouble. More importantly: what do you think of him as Seung-hee's partner?"
"I approve. He could fill what the young lady lacks most."
"What she lacks most… force of arms."
Ha Heon-shin turned his gaze to the window. Beyond it, the night sky held nothing but the moon.
Sejin Group had risen to its present height because Ha Heon-shin possessed both wealth and power at once.
He had a vague premonition of the future. The days ahead would likely be far more chaotic than the past — and to break through chaos, strength mattered more than money.
Without the power to protect your money, you simply become a wallet for whoever has the strength.
"I may be getting ahead of myself. For now, we'll watch."
There was still plenty of time.
Ha Heon-shin was still vigorous enough that fretting over a vague future felt premature.
I entered the Academy of the Savior world.
As a member of the Spirit Department, I went to the Spirit Department Building whenever we had major classes.
At Maruhan Academy, there were exactly two spirit users: me, and the dark elf Callas. Counting only students, I was the sole spirit user in the entire academy.
Overnight, I'd ended up receiving one-on-one private instruction.
I didn't mind the arrangement. Callas and I had already crossed a line last time, and that relationship was still very much ongoing — for instance, locking eyes during class and immediately throwing off our clothes for sex…
Not having to worry about other people's eyes made the Spirit Department extremely convenient.
Today, as usual, I'd practice the basics of spirit arts, have sex with Callas, and head back to the dorm.
No matter how many times I practice spirit arts, I just can't get a feel for it.
Spirit arts — not the method of commanding spirits, but techniques that used a spirit's power. My spirit affinity was high, but I had zero talent for spirit arts themselves.
If I could use spirit arts, it'd help in all kinds of ways. If I keep practicing, maybe I'll at least manage a few simple ones…?
I wasn't confident.
The thought that I was just wasting time kept creeping in.
"Yujin."
Smooth brown skin, long ears poking out through bright gray hair. A beautiful dark elf in a blouse and long skirt stepped into the lecture room. Callas.
I started to greet her as usual — then tilted my head. A shadow hung over the face of the woman who was always so composed.
"Teacher, did something happen?"
"…The Spirit Department is probably going to be dissolved."
"What? What are you talking about?"
Callas let out a sigh and explained the situation.
Before coming here, there had been a meeting of department heads — one attended by the academy's principal and vice principal. In other words, a meeting of the academy's real power brokers.
As the Spirit Department's only instructor, Callas had attended with the standing of a department head. There, she had come under attack from certain other departments.
"The Spirit Department only has one student. The other department heads called that special treatment and demanded we be dissolved."
"Didn't Principal Kang Jiyoung attend the meeting?"
Kang Jiyoung stood behind the Spirit Department. Most instructors knew that, so under normal circumstances they would have quietly left the Spirit Department alone — so long as Kang Jiyoung's authority remained intact.
"She did. But this time the smaller department heads banded together and came prepared. Even Principal Kang Jiyoung couldn't simply ignore them."
"…Did the Spirit Department do something wrong?"
"We only just reopened. Of course not. This is about the budget. The way academy departments get their funding is a little unusual."
"How does it work?"
"First, the large, popular, historically established departments — Sword Arts, Spear Arts, Magic, and so on — receive support from the government and the Hero Association. Even Principal Kang Jiyoung can't touch the large departments' budgets."
"…Wow. How much does a large department get in a year? Tens of billions of won, right?"
Callas gave a bitter smile.
"Tens of billions? Hardly. As far as I know, the Sword Arts Department's budget for this year is around forty-two billion. The Magic Department has an extra digit. I don't know the exact figure myself, but I've heard it's over a hundred and fifty billion."
The numbers were far higher than I'd expected. And that was without including personnel costs.
Still, the Magic Department makes sense. Magical talent is especially rare. And when you factor in magical materials… a hundred and fifty billion doesn't even feel that outrageous.
Which made me curious about the Spirit Department's budget.
"How much does the Spirit Department get?"
"We were allocated a hundred million. Since we only just opened, we haven't even received half of that yet."
"Only a hundred million? That's disappointing."
"You're the only student in the Spirit Department. A hundred million is already a lot."
She went on to explain how the mid- and small-scale departments received their funding.
The mid- and small-scale departments split a shared pool. Say the year's budget was ten billion — the principal would weigh each department's performance and divide it among them.
"This year's total budget for all mid- and small-scale departments is a hundred and forty-two point two billion. There are about forty of them."
"They're tearing into the Spirit Department over a budget that isn't even zero-point-one percent? You've got to be kidding me."
Irritation surged through me.
"The mid-sized departments take tens of billions each, and small ones like ours only get a few hundred million."
"The mid-sized departments wouldn't care much about a hundred million… so it's the little ones getting greedy."
There were roughly twenty mid-sized departments. Split a hundred million twenty ways and you didn't even get ten million each. No one was going to pick a fight with Kang Jiyoung over a mere five million.
But the small departments? Those bastards would begrudge even a million won.
They're also wary of new departments opening up. Something like the Spirit Department could happen again. And with the vice principal — who's at odds with Kang Jiyoung — backing them from behind… they're not that afraid of her either.
What a pain.
Money I could bring in as much as I wanted. Hundreds of billions? Hell, trillions wouldn't even be a stretch.
The problem was that losing the budget meant the Spirit Department got dissolved.
This place is perfect for getting together and having sex. I'm not giving it up.
I stood up from my chair.
"Callas-sensei. There are ringleaders among them, right? Where are they?"
"You're thinking of going and confronting them?"
"Of course I am."
"…Do you really think they'll listen if a student shows up to argue?"
She had a point.
If a student complained, the obvious response would be to tell them to go study.
But not all students were the same.
"Teacher. My mom is the president of the parent association. And my mom is SS-class. If she tells the Korean Hero Association chairman to get on his knees, he gets on his knees. You think some small-department instructor is going to dare look down on me?"
"W-well… I suppose not…"
The small-department instructor nodded, looking a little unsettled.