Chapter 735
Chapter 735
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 735
Chapter Title: Academy's Savior
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I took off my hood and sat down in the chair. Perhaps sensing a customer's presence, the door to the back room opened, and the shop owner emerged.
"Welcome..."
The shop owner paused upon seeing me.
But it was only for a moment. She cleared her throat naturally and approached me.
"Welcome."
She wore a black, flowing robe with the hood pulled up and a mask covering her face. The only visible part of her body was her eyes, which were heavily made up. Her clothes were so oversized that it was hard to make out her figure, but her narrow shoulders and the faint curves suggested she was definitely a woman.
Her voice had a neutral tone to it.
"Hmm."
Even her voice had been magically altered to conceal her identity, but I knew for certain it was Yun Hee-jeong.
She strode over and sat down across from me.
"You know what this place is and what I do here, don't you?"
"I heard the best enchantress around was here, so I came to check. Not sure if she's actually the best, though."
"Since you've come straight here, let me lay out the terms. You'll have to provide all the materials for the enchanting yourself, and it might take some time— I hope you understand. Fees vary depending on the enchantment, but the minimum commission is five million won."
"......"
I stared at her blankly. As I sat there without saying a word, Yun Hee-jeong's eyes wavered uneasily.
"Mind if I ask one question?"
"Sure. What is it?"
"They say you're artisan-level. So why run a shop here? With skills good enough to spread rumors even after taxes, you could work at a proper store."
"......Personal circumstances."
Of course, I knew exactly what those personal circumstances were.
Yun Hee-jeong had taken out a loan from a shady second-tier financier— a place notorious for its predatory practices, one that had been third-tier just ten years ago.
I didn't know the exact amount, but it was definitely over 200 billion won. The only reason she'd been able to borrow that much was because she was an academy teacher. If she quit her job at the academy, they'd come after her relentlessly to collect, and once they had her in their grip, she might spend the rest of her life as an enchanting slave.
Pretending to pull them from my pocket, I took two boxes out of my inventory and placed them on the table.
One box contained clothes, gloves, shoes, and the like, while the other was filled with neatly stacked red firewood.
"Firewood from the Huamok Spirit, huh. You want fire resistance? Or insulation?"
"Insulation. And a defense boost if possible."
"That'll raise the fee a bit. You okay with that?"
"How much?"
"Not a tough enchant, but there's a good amount here. Twelve million won. I take twenty percent upfront— two point four million. Deposit it in this account. Come back in three days."
Twelve million was a fair price. I pulled out my smartphone and made the transfer. When I stayed seated instead of leaving, she asked,
"......Is there something else?"
"Teacher Yun Hee-jeong?"
I stared at her with suspicion. Yun Hee-jeong didn't flinch.
"That's not me."
I fiddled with my smartphone and called Yun Hee-jeong right in front of her. It rang, but she didn't pick up. She'd left her phone somewhere else, it seemed.
She's been working here for years, so she's probably got her bases covered.
I'd wanted to rattle her, but no such luck.
"Customer, don't try to uncover my identity. That's a rule of this shop. If you can't follow the rules, I won't take your commission."
"...Sorry. It's inconvenient not having a way to contact you. Could you give me your number?"
"Sure."
Yun Hee-jeong gave me her number. It wouldn't rattle her either way— it was probably a burner phone. Easy enough to get if you wanted one.
"......Not going?"
"Ah, right, I am. By the way, you heard the scary rumors going around lately?"
"Scary rumors? ...No idea. Haven't heard anything."
Of course she wouldn't have. It was a rumor that had just started from my mouth.
"They say an A-rank villain's been spotted near the academy. Apparently searching for something with some goal in mind... Be careful not to run into them."
"Got it. I will."
???
The next day.
I walked to school. It was about a fifteen-minute trek from the dorms to the academy's main building. Not too far, so I had some leeway. As long as I didn't oversleep.
The area was quiet. It was 8:20 a.m. Twenty minutes late.
Sudden school attendance. I barely even go to university...
Fighting off the remnants of sleep, I headed for the main gate.
"You there."
Someone called out to me. I widened my eyes. A beauty so stunning she chased away my drowsiness entirely stood at the gate.
Black hair tied in a ponytail, impeccable uniform, and a yellow armband on her left bicep reading 'Discipline'. A sword hung at her waist.
She fixed me with a stern gaze. Her skin was fair, her figure outstanding. Her chest looked about C-cup, but I knew she was binding them with bandages. They were actually G-cup.
Her name was Namgoong Hwayeon.
Second-year rank one and discipline committee chief.
"Your sleeve says first-year. Ceremony was the day before yesterday, and you're already late... What a delinquent."
The academy uniform sleeves had stripes to denote year: blue for first-years, red for second, green for third.
"Calling me a delinquent over one late slip? That's a bit much."
"From my experience, kids who are late at the start of the semester stay late all the way to the end. Especially you— you reek of delinquent vibes. You might even be the worst I've ever seen."
"......"
I was dumbfounded. To think I'd be branded the ultimate delinquent over one tardy.
Namgoong Hwayeon approached me slowly. Her black skirt swayed. It barely covered half her thighs, teasing the edge. Every movement of her firm thighs made my heart melt.
She'd shortened the skirt herself, claiming it was for ease of movement. A discipline chief, and yet so provocative.
"Class, number, name?"
"First-year Class 1, number 17, Sung Yu-jin."
"Bold. I like that attitude."
Namgoong Hwayeon tapped on her smartphone, noting down my name and number.
"But a late is a late. Normally it's a 0.3 demerit for tardiness, but you're over twenty minutes late. Adding 0.2 more for a total of 0.5 demerit points."
Maruhan Academy operated on a merit-demerit system.
Being late, dozing in class, or forgetting homework earned demerits. Rack up too many, and you'd be stuck with service duties. Above all, demerits affected your grades, so everyone tried to avoid them and chase merits instead.
"Yes, ma'am."
"...No complaints? If you reflect and promise never to be late again, I could reduce it to 0.3."
Grades didn't mean much to me either way.
"My bad. I've reflected. Won't happen again."
Namgoong Hwayeon gave a wry smile.
"No soul in it. You're not even sorry. My instincts were spot on."
"Can I go now?"
"No other penalties besides the demerit, so yes. But... ever thought about joining the discipline committee?"
"......Me?"
Her unexpected offer made me look at Namgoong Hwayeon. I couldn't quite grasp her intentions.
"I've heard the rumors about you. First-year rank five. Great grades, but skills on par with second-year elites. And your mother's Sung Ha-ri, right?"
Her eyes sparkled at the mention of Sung Ha-ri's name. The legendary figure was practically an idol to young female heroes.
"Yeah, my mom's Sung Ha-ri... but I'm not joining the committee just because of her. And it doesn't suit me anyway."
To win Namgoong Hwayeon over, joining the committee would be ideal. Spending time with her there would naturally build favor. But the committee was a hassle. Way too much busywork.
It's great for kids gunning for association jobs, but they work you to the bone.
Namgoong Hwayeon looked disappointed.
"I figured keeping a problem child like you close to watch would be best... but if you're not interested, nothing I can do."
"...Is that why you asked? You're a bit of a weirdo yourself, sunbae."
"Heh, I get that a lot. Anyway, we're done. Head straight to class. And no being late tomorrow."
She gave my shoulder a pat before striding off toward the second-year classrooms. I watched her retreating figure and nodded to myself.
Discipline girls feel even sexier than regular ones, kinda like how policewomen do.
I entered the classroom.
The teacher hadn't arrived yet, but the atmosphere was odd. If a second-year like Namgoong Hwayeon knew about me, the rumors had surely spread like wildfire among the first-years.
"Yu-jin, hi."
Lee Si-eun waved at me. I greeted her back and glanced around.
Kim Cheon-woo wore a complicated expression, while Ma Jin-bae blatantly turned away.
Lee Kang-hoo fidgeted, staring at me. Yoo Seung-jun's seat was empty, like he hadn't come to school.
Choi Dayeon stared right at me. I'd figured she'd be furious after losing yesterday, her pride wounded, but there was no sign of anger.
What's up? With her personality, I expected death glares.
『Choi Dayeon's Favorability: 34』
It had been around 15 just yesterday, but now it had jumped to 34.
Game logic doesn't always match reality... but good's good, I guess.
I took my seat.
"Y-Yu-jin. I heard you're Sung Ha-ri's son... Is it true?"
A girl seated behind me asked. I'd have ignored a guy, but she was a girl I'd be bedding soon enough. I smiled warmly and answered.
"Yeah. My mom's Sung Ha-ri."
"Really?! I'm a huge fan of her."
"Want some stories about Mom?"
The girl nodded eagerly. I could feel the other girls in class paying attention.
I grinned.
???
Before class started, I headed to Yun Hee-jeong's private office. In the tiny room—barely half the size of a classroom—she was handling paperwork when she saw me and swallowed hard.
"Yu-jin. What brings you here?"
"Nothing serious. I went to see the Back-Alley Jewel yesterday."
I closed the door and approached her.
"...You went out yesterday? You snuck out at night?"
"Yes."
"You... Are you confessing right now? Sneaking out at night is a twenty-point demerit. Want to head to the discipline committee with me? Hm?"
"It's in the past. Let it slide this once."
"Let it slide? I'm your homeroom teacher. I need to make sure you don't mess up."
"More importantly, I have something to say about the Back-Alley Jewel."
"D-don't change the subject. That's not the issue."
"You really gonna give me demerits?"
"You do wrong, you get punished. That's how it works."
"Got proof? Proof I went out?"
"...Didn't you just admit it? Said you snuck out at night to meet the Jewel."
"I could've been lying. Or... did you see me outside, Teacher?"
"I trust what students tell me. And we can investigate. You know there are CCTVs and barriers around the dorms, right? Shall we check now? Hm?"
"Sure. But if there's no proof, I'll report you instead."
"What?"
"Can't take unfair demerits without evidence. Mom just set up the parent-teacher association... She'd back me up if I told her."
"......Haa. Fine. We'll let this one go. You're safe, so it's not a big deal. Class is starting soon. Head back."
"Teacher."
I placed both hands on her shoulders as she sat in her chair.