Chapter 47
Chapter 47
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Translator: penny
Chapter Title: Unexpected Home Visit (2)
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It's vacation.
Which means free time.
A time when I can escape, if only for a little while, from the hell of scraping by on a meager salary while pushing people around.
And at the same time...
'Now I can focus on bride hunting.'
Things had been hectic lately with exams and all that.
"Vacation forever."
I raised both arms, savoring the feeling of freedom.
Clack.
The door opened, and a group of people entered.
Whoosh.
The ones pouring in like a flood were dressed in the uniforms of the Murim Alliance.
"What brings members of the Alliance here?"
"Wait, aren't those experts from the outer divisions? Why are they in Bronze Hall..."
"Did something happen?"
The instructors murmured among themselves.
It didn't seem like something that happened often.
The instructors' confusion reached a peak as they watched a man stride out from between the ranks of Alliance warriors lined up in formation.
"Nangong Il-joon, the great hero?"
"It's the South Heaven Sword."
"Why would an executive from the Murim Alliance come to Bronze Hall?"
Nangong Il-joon scanned the murmuring crowd, his eyes moving swiftly.
'This isn't good.'
I quietly stood up and started to slip away, but our eyes met.
"Ah. There you are."
Damn it. Caught.
"Don't be too startled. The reason for our visit today is none other than a 'family meeting.'"
Family meeting?
Yeo Mae-hong whispered beside me.
"I told you. You're going to be busy."
"What's a family meeting?"
"It's an instructor's duty during vacation to visit the students' families and report on their progress so far."
No way.
I'd never heard of something this annoying.
"It's in the second chapter of the Instructor Duties Manual. Didn't you read it?"
Unfair.
Completely unfair.
"This isn't vacation then!"
"It's vacation for the students. For instructors, it's an extension of duties."
"You said it was vacation!"
No wonder the stingy Murim Alliance pays vacation salary. There was this annoying catch hidden in it.
Vicious Murim Alliance.
Devious Murim Alliance.
Nangong Il-joon, who had approached me before I knew it, spoke sternly.
"We meet again like this."
"Hmm. Who might you be?"
"Didn't we exchange greetings before? Do you not remember me?"
As he revealed his displeasure, Yeo Mae-hong stepped forward.
"Greetings, Great Hero Nangong."
"And you are."
"I am Yeo Mae-hong, the new instructor of Bronze Hall."
"Instructor Yeo, then."
"I am not a name worthy of the Great Hero's memory."
Yeo Mae-hong clasped her hands in a formal salute, her tone polite yet without any openings.
"If you wished for a family meeting, you could have contacted us through the student directly. Why come in person?"
"Follow procedure... You're right."
Snort.
Nangong Il-joon feigned a complaint as he spoke.
"But there's a slight issue. My nephew has changed quite a bit since I last saw him. Unlike before, he doesn't seem particularly welcoming to this uncle."
"Ah. So that's the reason."
"I'm a bit hurt, but I was curious about my nephew's growth anyway. I wanted to see if he's growing up properly."
The crowd let out sighs of 'Oh dear...' at his seemingly heartfelt story.
"So, Instructor Chu. I'd like to request a meeting with you. Will you accept?"
All eyes turned to me.
Glares urging me to accept immediately stabbed like daggers.
But Chu Un-hwi tilted his head.
"No thanks."
"What?"
"Nangong doesn't want to see you. Why should I have to meet with you?"
"I just explained. Yun-ho seems to have some grudge against me and won't accept my request."
"He's a grown man with his own thoughts."
Nangong Il-joon's demeanor instantly grew icy.
"Can you take responsibility for those words?"
As his eyes sharpened, Hall Master Chung-hyun, who had been watching from the corner, came rushing over.
"Aigoo! Great Hero!"
He thrust his crumpled face right in front of mine.
"Instructor Chu! This busy gentleman has taken precious time to visit, and you're spouting such nonsense!"
Then he flashed a spring sunshine smile and chuckled.
"Great Hero. Instructor Chu is new and lacks tact and flexibility."
"I'll scold him properly, so don't worry."
"When the Great Hero himself has come, how can regulations matter?"
Nangong Il-joon's expression softened only after seeing Chung-hyun grovel, and he smiled in satisfaction.
"Thank you. Thanks to Bronze Hall Master, I can breathe easier."
Glare.
He shot me a fierce look before turning and leaving.
"Hehe. Safe travels, Great Hero."
Chung-hyun bowed his head repeatedly until he was gone.
Once Nangong Il-joon left, Chung-hyun flew into a rage.
"Are you insane?!"
He poured out nagging as if harboring a grudge.
"Do you know who that was? The South Heaven Sword! South Heaven Sword!"
"You tell a giant of the jianghu who guards the southern skies, 'No thanks'?"
"Is social life a joke to you? Do you just blurt out whatever you think?!"
Chung-hyun stamped in place, nodded at something, then slammed his hall master's seal down.
"Meeting permit. Go apologize to the Great Hero for today's incident."
"I'm kind of busy..."
"If you don't want to get kicked out penniless, take it. This is an order!"
"Ugh."
Nothing ever went my way.
'I was planning to hunt for a bride during vacation...'
My schedule was ruined by this uninvited guest.
But my misfortune didn't end there.
Thud thud thud!
Before the brutish noise even faded, another uninvited guest burst in.
The instructors froze again at the sight of the black and red martial robes.
"Moyong Ju, the great hero?"
"What day is it today?"
"Wait, his expression looks off."
As the instructors said.
Moyong Ju, who had stormed in as if to break down the door, bellowed with bulging eyes.
"Which bastard is it?!"
He roared like a lion, grinding his teeth in fury.
"Who threw a straw doll at my granddaughter and ran off?!"
"Why should my granddaughter cry alone fixing the doll?!"
"Which punk are you?! Show yourself!"
Glance.
I poked Hall Master Chung-hyun's side amid the gathering stares again.
"One more meeting permit, please."
This was truly...
The worst development.
"...And that's what happened."
Jegal Tan, who had been listening beside me, twitched his lips.
"Ha. Ha. Ha. You really had a tough time."
"Keep laughing and I'll rip your mouth off."
"Eep."
I asked Jegal Tan, who clamped his mouth shut.
"Hey, you're smart and have been at the academy a while, so you know the ropes. Isn't there some trick I can pull in a situation like this?"
"You're asking a student for a trick right now?"
"Yeah. I'm pretty serious."
I was starting to think Bronze Hall wasn't for me anymore.
I wanted to get out ASAP and hunt for a bride, but to get tangled in this annoyance...
'Everyone's out having fun right now. This is my chance.'
Silver Hall was enjoying vacation too.
Meaning, during break, I could run into a bride out on an outing if I played it right.
'Losing days of precious scouting time isn't good.'
But Jegal Tan's response was full of skepticism.
"You can get excused for health issues or sect problems."
My health was fine.
I didn't even know where my sect was, so no clue if there were problems.
'All fabricated backgrounds are like that.'
A few more exemption rules followed, but none were useful.
"Hmm... This isn't good..."
I'd end up buried in work even during vacation.
Then Jegal Tan said something unexpected.
"That's odd. I thought you'd welcome the meetings, Instructor."
"Who'd welcome this hassle?"
"How many invitations from which families you get becomes a brag among instructors. It's proof of good connections and quite honorable."
Connections and honor.
I only needed a bride instead of friends, and as someone who wanted to live hidden, it was irrelevant.
But an unexpected story followed.
"They say matchmakers in Infinite City even give instructors extra points based on when and where they're invited."
Matchmakers? Extra points?
At the surprising words, Chu Un-hwi tilted his head.
"Why do matchmakers come up here?"
"It's just a figure of speech. Martial artists who eat and train all day don't meet women easily. They need experts' help, so Infinite City's matchmakers are booming. It means 'family meetings' are important enough to be a benchmark for them."
"Ohhhh?"
That changed things.
Jegal Tan's explanation didn't stop there.
"They actually help with living expenses too."
"Tell me more."
"Families usually want their blood relatives to succeed, right? It's called a meeting, but really, it's begging instructors to take good care of them."
Right.
Yeom Gwang made a killing with private lessons.
Parents burning with educational zeal wouldn't stay quiet in such a precious one-on-one.
"Especially since it's at home, privately. No need to mind others' eyes, so they give bribes more openly."
"Oh ho."
Now it piqued my interest.
The family meeting, which had only felt annoying moments ago, now looked entirely different.
"Nice. Family meeting. Sounds good. Family meeting."
Good call consulting this guy. Stories with real meat and bones that a shut-in like Nangong Yun-ho or newbie students couldn't provide.
Chu Un-hwi's gaze grew distant.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"I'm going. To the Jegal Family."
"This suddenly? You were just complaining it was a hassle... Ow ow ow."
I lightly squeezed his shoulder to convey my intent, and Jegal Tan teared up.
"Now. Time to request a meeting?"
"Y-yes, I understand. I'll request it! I will!"
Good.
Your instructor is satisfied.
As I released his shoulder, Jegal Tan, who groaned for a while, hit the nail on the head.
"...Bribes?"
"Yeah."
"Can't you at least phrase it indirectly?"
"I'm on a low salary. A beggar. Need money. Squeeze it out of them, Jegal Family."
Jegal Tan sighed deeply.
"Haa... Got it. I'll prepare. But with your skills, Instructor, you could make way more elsewhere. Why stay here?"
"I want to marry with clean money."
"You're the first instructor to call bribes clean money."
Jegal Tan grumbled, but Chu Un-hwi ignored him.
This much was clean enough.
I was heading back lightly with the Jegal Family meeting permit in hand.
"Heh heh heh. Not bad, righteous murim."
Walking cheerfully, I spotted a familiar doll-like figure off to the side.
"Haaaah."
A lanky guy letting out a long sigh.
I shuffled over and kicked his butt.
"Hey. Why the long face alone?"
"I-Instructor."
It was Nangong Yun-ho.
"You look like death. Did the special meal you were dying for since morning get cut off right in front of you even though it arrived on time?"
"No. You're the type to get depressed over that... Ow!"
Nangong Yun-ho clutched his shin and hopped around as he spoke.
"I talked briefly with an elder from my family, and it left me frustrated."
"Family elder? Oh, Nangong Il... whatever."
"Huh? You know him, Instructor?"
"Heh heh heh."
Know him? All too well.
I explained today's events with a sinister grin. Nangong Yun-ho's face gradually hardened.
"He even came to you, Instructor."
I poked his side repeatedly as he looked more worried.
"Why? Hate it that much?"
"Not hate, but..."
He hesitated before cautiously asking.
"When did he say to come?"
"Five days after vacation starts? Preferably evening, I think."
"I see. Understood."
He bowed and walked away with a resolute expression, leaving Chu Un-hwi puzzled.
"What? What's with him?"
Puberty?