The Corrupt Priest and the Calculated Tutor
The priest nodded vigorously at Seong-il’s explanation before answering with great enthusiasm. “To think you suffer from such a problem!”
What the hell... Why does he look so happy about it? Seong-il wondered. As he grew puzzled, the priest continued in an excited voice.
“How could our Order of Oltar possibly fail to provide—no, supply—our highest-grade holy water to a brother tormented by such an affliction! Sister Sophia! Fetch the holy water for this brother at once.”
After sending the nun away, the priest turned back to Seong-il. “Hmm… Very well, brother. Since Sister Sophia is no longer present, I shall speak plainly.”
“The truth is, the highest-grade holy water cannot be distributed to non-believers… However, since you mentioned ten gold per bottle, I will exert my influence to make it available. In exchange, might you consider showing me some personal gratitude…?”
The priest’s face gleamed with naked greed as he spoke.
Ha… So that’s why he was so thrilled earlier. A priest who’s fallen completely to money.
Hiding his true thoughts, Seong-il replied warmly. “Of course, Father! After receiving such generous help, how could I not express my gratitude?”
Seong-il pulled out another pouch and handed it over. The priest turned slightly, checked the contents, then broke into a grin so wide it threatened to split his face. He offered effusive thanks.
“Hehe… You really didn’t need to show such generosity.”
Despite his words, the priest swiftly stuffed the pouch into his robes the moment no one was looking.
Damn it… Thirty gold in bribes. What a waste.
Not long after, Sister Sophia returned carrying an ornate wooden box and presented it to him.
“Brother, here is the highest-grade holy water.”
Seong-il accepted it, bowed deeply, and said, “Thank you both, Father and Sister. I will visit again tomorrow.”
The next day, Seong-il visited the guild and accompanied the man who greeted him to the house in question.
“Sigh… Normally the receptionist would handle this, but she swore she’d rather die than set foot in that place, so I ended up coming myself.”
“Goodness, I’ve burdened you with such an unpleasant task because of me. I’m sorry.”
“…No need to apologize. I’m being paid for it, after all.”
After exchanging small talk, they arrived at the house. Seong-il received the key, opened the front gate, and stepped into the garden. Just as he moved to enter the building, the man stopped him.
“Sorry, but let’s finish the remaining paperwork right here.”
“…?”
The man smiled awkwardly. “Truth is… I feel a bit uneasy about it myself. Would you mind if we conclude everything out here?”
Seong-il nodded in understanding and began finalizing the contract. “First, here’s the tax payment certificate issued by the city yesterday. Don’t lose it—it’s a headache if you do. This is the property deed. You already have the contract from yesterday, so that should be fine, yes?”
Seong-il nodded, paid the ten gold for the house along with the brokerage fee, and parted ways with the man.
“A house that should easily be worth a hundred gold, sold for a mere ten. The rumors must have been truly vicious.”
Muttering to himself, Seong-il opened the door and stepped inside. The hinges, neglected for who knew how long, let out a long, grating creak. Seong-il frowned at the sound and entered the room.
“Hmm… So this is what it looks like?”
An unmistakably sinister aura clung to the entire place. He could finally understand why people found it so unsettling. Maximizing his Induction skill to detect any danger, Seong-il lit the lantern he had brought and descended into the basement.
The roughly ten-pyeong space was completely empty, devoid of any objects. “Let’s see… Shall I follow the hint?”
He took out the candles he had prepared, lit them from the lantern, and held one against the wall while slowly circling the room.
“Ah! This is the spot. I can feel air flowing from behind the hidden room.”
When the candle flame danced wildly in front of a particular section of wall, Seong-il confirmed the location of the secret chamber. He pressed the ‘Stone of Thunder’—obtained from the school library’s hidden archive—against the wall, sprinkled the prepared catalyst and reagents, then quickly retreated upstairs.
BOOM!!!
The thunderous roar echoed through the basement. Seong-il descended once more. Behind the crumbled wall stood a sealed door. He began chanting the unsealing incantation in front of it.
“When the red moon rises and the sun is dyed black, the living shall lose their breath and the dead shall draw air in this world. Praise the coming great plague and the goddess of curses.”
The door trembled and swung open. Seong-il clutched the holy water he had kept in his inner pocket and stepped inside.
What he found was astonishing. Gold coins, exquisite golden tableware, candlesticks, jewels, and other treasures were piled high—easily ten times more than what he had seen in the previous hidden room. And standing amid all that wealth was a beautiful yet distinctly ominous goddess statue.
That must be Folke’s statue…
Without hesitation, Seong-il uncorked the holy water and sprinkled it over the figure. A horrifying groan of agony pierced his ears as black smoke billowed outward, swirling around the statue.
I can feel the sinister energy weakening.
Once the holy water ran out, Seong-il left the chamber, resealed the door with another incantation, visited the Temple of the God of Light to replenish his supply, and returned to the dormitory.
Back at the dormitory, he decided to avoid major activities until the first-quarter exams, focusing instead on purifying the house and absorbing common knowledge about the Nelke Kingdom.
When he posted a notice offering daily one-hour tutoring sessions on the kingdom’s culture, customs, history, and geography for three full months, the school erupted in an uproar. The reason was simple: the fee for such basic instruction was an eye-watering three gold.
Thanks to the outrageous advertisement, Seong-il once again became the center of attention. A constant stream of students hoping to become his tutor crowded the hallway outside his room.
Why are they only sending men…
He politely turned down a male senior who had inquired, then continued interviewing prospective tutors. In the afternoon, the person he had been waiting for finally appeared.
Knock knock.
“Who is it?”
At the familiar sound, Seong-il opened the door. Standing before him was a brown-haired woman he knew very well.
Elisha Portis!! At last!
Maintaining a calm facade, he asked, “What brings you here…?”
Elisha, her face tight with tension, suddenly grabbed both his hands and launched into her introduction.
“Hello! Seong-il! My name is Elisha Portis! I saw your notice and came to greet you because I’d like to be your tutor! Have you found one yet?!”
She fired off her words like a volley of arrows, staring at him with desperate, pleading eyes.
I figured dangling a large sum in front of that debt-ridden miser would create an opening, but I didn’t expect her to bite this quickly…
Seong-il looked at her and answered, “Ah… I haven’t chosen anyone yet. It’s the first day, so I’ve only been meeting applicants and conducting interviews.”
“Ah! Then may I have an interview as well?!”
Though the entire notice had been crafted to lure her in, Seong-il feigned ignorance and nodded.
“Certainly. Please, come in.”
“Yes! Yes!”
After serving her tea at the research desk, Seong-il began his introduction. “First… my name is Han Seong-il. As you can see, I recently arrived from the East to study alchemy. I know almost nothing about this place, which is why I posted the notice.”
“I raised the fee quite high because I want to be very selective. If you’ll forgive my rudeness, what year are you in, Miss Elisha…?”
Elisha hesitated for a moment before answering. “Ah… I’m a first-year, same as you, Seong-il…”
The moment she said it, Seong-il deliberately frowned and cut her off. “First-year…? That might be a problem…”
Let’s make her sweat a little. She’ll try harder that way.
Flustered by his negative reaction, she launched into a desperate defense.
“That’s not true! Even if I look like this, I come from a rather old and prestigious noble family. I’m confident my foundation in culture, customs, history, and geography is very solid!”
“Were any of the other applicants from noble houses? Nobles usually value their dignity too highly, so I doubt you’ll find anyone else from such a background. Of course I don’t mean to disparage commoners, but nobles receive a fundamentally different level of education in these areas. In that sense, I can confidently say I am the best tutor available to you in this entire school!”
Her passionate, almost frantic appeal left Seong-il struggling to hide his amusement. He asked, “Then why would someone like you, Miss Elisha, apply for a position other nobles have avoided…?”
She flinched at the pointed question, then offered a hasty excuse while hiding her real circumstances.
“I… I don’t have any Eastern friends, so I thought this would be a good chance to make one. Hehe…”
At this rate she might even offer to do it for free.
Seong-il cursed her shamelessness inwardly, but he wasn’t about to throw away this golden opportunity. Pretending to be convinced, he nodded.
“Oh… Then you really are the perfect teacher for me. I don’t have any friends here either, so I’d be grateful if you became one. When can you start the lessons…?”
At his positive reply, Elisha’s lips stretched into a wide smile. Trembling with excitement, she grabbed both his hands again.
“Th—! Anything you want! I’ll match whatever schedule you desire—g… I mean, Seong-il! Shall we begin today?!”
Seong-il gave a wry smile at her excessive eagerness. “Well… as you can see, my room is small and cluttered. I’d prefer to hold the lessons outside—perhaps at a teahouse? You could show me around the city while we’re at it…”
Elisha’s face brightened. “Then let’s do it at my house! I don’t live in the dormitory. Despite appearances, I have an external workshop thanks to the dean’s sponsorship. Ahem!”
Seong-il smiled faintly at her adorably proud expression and pretended to be delighted. “Oh! Really? That would be even better. Shall we begin tomorrow, then?”
“Perfect! But… um… there’s something I’d like to confirm first… Hehe…”
“What is it?”
Elisha swallowed nervously before speaking. “The truth is, I enrolled against my family’s wishes, so I don’t receive any support… Hehe…”
“There’s a book I really want to buy. Will the tutoring fee be paid properly…? An advance would be even better…”
Seong-il smiled softly at her cute little lie. “Of course. Even between friends, money matters should be handled cleanly.”
He took out a pouch, opened it wide to reveal the gleaming gold coins inside, and handed her one.
“Here’s the advance. After one month, if you’re satisfied, I’ll give you another. The final coin will be paid on the last day of lessons.”
“Ah, and I originally planned to offer a separate performance bonus if the lessons were satisfactory… But would that be rude to a noble lady?”
Elisha’s eyes widened. She waved her hands frantically. “N-not at all! That kind of merit-based reward is actually a highly encouraged and honorable custom in the Nelke Kingdom! If you’re satisfied with my teaching and give me a bonus, it would be an honor for me as well!”
Seong-il mocked her reaction inwardly but spoke agreeably. “Ah, if that’s how it works, then it’s perfect. Let’s begin tomorrow.”
“Yes!! Wonderful!”
As she turned to leave after thanking him, Seong-il added, “Also, please prepare any food, tea, or teaching materials yourself and bill me for the costs. Since you’re providing your home as the lesson space, it’s only proper that I cover those expenses.”
Elisha’s eyes grew even wider. She thanked him profusely at the doorway and departed.
Once outside, she thought to herself with glee.
Hehe… I’ve hooked a real pushover this time! Not only is the tutoring fee exorbitant, but he’s even willing to cover all preparation costs. He must be some rich young master. I’ll get close to him and wring him dry to the bone!
Completely unaware that she was dancing in the palm of Seong-il’s hand, Elisha returned home basking in happy fantasies.