The Lunch Break and the Scholar's Lesson
With a rumbling in his belly, the Clock of the Navel made its presence known, and Jaksan felt hunger gnawing at him. He pressed a hand to his stomach.
Everything he had eaten since the last time had been little more than dry strips of meat and that insipid liquor. And since arriving here, he had eaten nothing at all, so his stomach was certainly empty enough.
Of course, as one of the Seven Pillars, Jaksan’s body and mind had long since transcended the standards of ordinary men.
Even if he neglected basic needs like appetite, sleep, or relief for long periods, it was not a fatal flaw. Still, to sustain life, he needed at least some minimum of those urges.
He was human, after all. He had to eat, sleep, and relieve himself—at least sometimes.
Deciding it was time for a proper meal after such a long stretch, Jaksan made his way to a restaurant.
“Welcome, sir. What will you have?”
The clerk behind the counter, who had been slacking off, looked up and locked eyes with Jaksan. His body froze on the spot.
“Y-Your Highness! The Great Pillar of the Continent!”
…
Having endured such reactions countless times, Jaksan paid them no mind and walked straight past the counter to claim an empty seat anywhere.
The clerk, following right behind, awkwardly handed him the menu.
- Braised boneless mackerel.
- Seafood stir-fry.
- Meat stir-fry.
…
“What is this…?”
Jaksan scanned the menu carefully, let out a sigh, and pressed a hand to his forehead.
Every single dish on it was completely unappealing to him.
Snorting, he pondered for a long time before handing the menu back to the clerk.
“…Bring me two portions of whatever this place sells the most.”
After much deliberation, he had decided to trust the statistics.
“Understood, sir!”
The clerk bowed so low his forehead nearly touched his knees, then hurried into the kitchen.
Before long, dishes began appearing one after another, all glistening with appetizing oil.
I told him two portions. What the—?
The table was packed with food, every bit of it dripping with sheen. The chef had clearly gone all out for the Pillar.
It would be rude to refuse the kindness, so Jaksan ate everything.
Only after a proper meal did he approach the counter and reach his sleeve deep into his bag for his pouch—only for the clerk to refuse vehemently.
“Oh no, sir! How could I possibly accept payment from the Seven Pillars?!”
“Even if I am a Pillar, that does not mean one can eat and run. For the sake of my dignity, please take it.”
“N-no, but… then thank you very much… oh my, you’ve given far too much! I—I cannot accept this much!”
“It is only right payment for the satisfaction of a proper meal.”
Once his business was done, Jaksan left the restaurant without a backward glance.
“Thank you so much for coming! Please visit again!”
The clerk called after his retreating back with repeated thanks.
Jaksan paid, stepped outside, and then sat on a chair, enjoying a cloudy brown tea.
“Six years, right?”
Crowsduck plopped down on the chair opposite him.
The attendant who had guided Crowsduck had quickly bought his favorite tea and set it before him.
“Grand Duke… Is it Jin-do Crowsduck?”
“First time meeting? Very well. What brings you to this city?”
“Should I tell you?”
“As the one responsible for this city, I have a right to know at least this much from you, Grand Duke.”
“Is that so? But I also have no obligation to explain to you… you.”
Jaksan’s attitude toward Crowsduck was as different from his treatment of others as heaven and earth.
Crowsduck’s hand, lifting his teacup, paused mid-motion at Jaksan’s clear condescension.
Clink. Clink.
His hand trembled with disbelief and anger, spilling the contents of his cup.
“W-what? You brat?! Such an insolent whelp like you!”
In truth, there was reason for Jaksan’s behavior.
Same as Haru, or perhaps even younger, he had left his village by chance and found himself under the care of Crowsduck and Cheongtong.
Having grown up with them, he had naturally absorbed their authoritative speech. To anyone other than the two who had raised him, he spoke with clear disdain.
And since the one who had raised him did not want his identity revealed, it was only natural that Jaksan would not explain his purpose to Crowsduck.
“What do you think my status is?”
“A Pillar, of course. But you are the most recent one, not even a year old—barely six years in the seat.”
“Barely six years. Do not lump me in with Modeus and the like. The reason I have not fought anyone yet is because of the existence of the sword saint right above me. Without him, I would have had to step down two years ago.”
“Oh? That mouth of yours—can you handle it?”
At the same time Crowsduck shoved an entire mouthful of tea into his mouth, steam of a vivid orange hue rose from his entire body.
It was the same reinforcement ability as Blanser’s, yet the pressure, size, and sharpness were worlds different.
Seeing Crowsduck ready for battle, Jaksan created dozens of sharp swords in mid-air using his own abilities and martial arts.
The two forces—steam and blades—stared each other down without yielding.
“We, the Grand Dukes who inherit the blood of the Seven Stars and our Seven Pillars who share their will. We have always debated which side is superior like a burning question. I was curious, so if you want, I’ll show you what it means to live up to the nickname ‘madman.’ Let’s dance.”
Hah… this guy is seriously something.
Sweat poured down the attendant’s forehead as he listened silently to their exchange from behind.
If a fight broke out here, the entire city would be razed. He had to prevent that at all costs.
The attendants under him moved in perfect unison to control the surroundings. The attendant, growing more tense, finally spoke in a trembling voice.
“Your Highness! Please hold still…!”
Contrary to his worries, Crowsduck suddenly slapped his own stomach and roared with laughter.
“Hah, hahaha!”
“…?”
Jaksan tilted his head in confusion as the steam around Crowsduck vanished.
“The young man who just joined the Seven Pillars at the mere age of seven—I wanted to test whether the rumor was true. But if you are truly a Pillar, you should have no room for retreat at any time.”
He had never intended to fight Jaksan in the first place.
Once Jaksan confirmed Crowsduck’s intentions, he lowered his aura. The razor-sharp swords around him gradually faded like illusions and evaporated.
“Very well. Welcome to my city. This city’s specialty is a dish called braised boneless mackerel. I highly recommend trying it. The taste is truly divine.”
“…I will decline.”
“Hmph, suit yourself. You may or may not know this, but the Arirang clan is currently under my protection. If you ever wish to meet them, come to my home. The old master will be delighted.”
“I will remember that.”
“Ah, but the young man’s speech and attitude are so odd. Tsk tsk. Then I shall take my leave. Enjoy your time here.”
With a disgusted tongue click, Crowsduck stood from his chair.
The attendant wiped his forehead and followed after him.
His face looked like a shriveled vegetable, and his body swayed as if he had aged ten full years in a single day.
“An unpredictable man. Interesting.”
Now staring at the half-empty teacup, Jaksan thought the taste wasn’t bad. He should order another cup.
Luckily, their meeting ended without any major commotion.
* * *
After the welcome banquet ended, several days later the Pope quietly left the Imperial Capital.
The ministers and the high priest apologized once more for what had happened, and the Pope added that he would one day visit the headquarters of the Arirang religion.
Through several days of rest, the National Academy had fully recovered from the aftermath of the welcome night and was now ready for the start of the second semester.
Just before morning lectures began, during breakfast time.
“Hand it over.”
“Th-that’s… portion control, s-sir…”
One of the fourth-years, his eyes swollen from all-night studying, spoke timidly to Teraden.
“What? Portion control? You’re bluffing. You gonna give me the spoon? Let me taste some bright light!”
“No, that’s… it’s just…”
Teraden glared with wide eyes, and the one holding the spoon froze completely.
“Teraden, don’t be like that. You have to consider the person behind you too.”
“How would you know? That stuff always sticks to you, I swear. It’ll all get eaten by you guys anyway.”
“You never know. If it’s not full, we’ll eat the rest and stop by the snack bar before class starts.”
“Ugh, fine.”
While each of them received their portion-controlled meals, Teraden suddenly shouted toward somewhere.
“Hey, Junior! Let’s eat together!”
Teraden waved his hand, and Junior came over carrying his tray.
Junior gave a light nod to both him and Teraden, then sat down and began eating calmly.
Not a single sound of clattering dishes came from the knife as he sliced the meat.
“Whoa. This guy eats like it’s an art form.”
Although Blanser would be a little jealous, seeing Junior sitting next to him made him look refined and elegant.
It wasn’t that Blanser was lacking in character—he just hadn’t organized himself yet. Once he did, he would be an eye-catching presence anywhere.
“Junior, but what class did you sign up for this semester?”
“It’s mostly the same as last semester.”
Most subjects for the second semester were not much different from the first.
Continental History I had become II, and the introductory courses for abilities or physical abilities had been shortened, so the content was simply deeper.
“Ah, this is so boring. I hope something exciting happens.”
Teraden, crunching on a side dish, sighed heavily and set down his chopsticks.
“Hyung, what if you take a leave and come home with us?”
“Nah, I’m not going. Stop with the nonsense and eat your rice.”
“Eh? But I’ve already eaten everything. If you’re not going to eat it, can I have the leftovers?”
“Eat it or not, doesn’t matter.”
“Haha! Thank you… wait, gugh! Water! Cough!”
“You’re chewing and swallowing? Eat slower.”
“Pfft!”
Teraden scowled but, deep down worried, patted Blanser’s back.
After the meal, we went to the snack bar before heading to the lecture hall.
“Hyung, can I have a bite of yours?”
Blanser, who had already finished his own portion, now eyed Teraden’s.
At Teraden’s casual offer, Blanser took one bite. Teraden’s bread—roughly a third—disappeared in an instant.
“Wow, you really just eat like it’s your own… Go ahead, finish it.”
“Hehe! Hyung. In return, I’ll buy you two more later.”
“Buy? You already swiped half the snack bar earlier.”
“Oh, I hadn’t noticed.”
“Well, then—first lecture of the semester starts now. Everyone shut up.”
After the small commotion settled, the first class of the second semester—Basic Abilities—began.
The instructor for Basic Abilities was a stern middle-aged man, unlike the laid-back one for the introductory course.
“You there. Stand up.”
The moment he entered the lecture hall and gave a brief introduction, the professor called on someone in the front row.
“For review, I’ll ask one simple question. You’ve already learned this in the introductory course, so you should have no trouble answering. Abilities are divided into two major categories. What are they?”
“Y-yes, sir. Abilities are divided into external release types and internal activation types.”
“Exactly. Excellent. You may sit down.”
The professor nodded slowly with a satisfied smile at the student’s perfect answer.
“I watched your performance at the welcome night. Truly remarkable. Now, let’s begin today’s lecture on abilities.”