The Magic City and the Great Detective
Paying no attention whatsoever to the magical city or the famous detective, Seong-il ramped up the qi raging through his body’s meridians and flipped her over with one powerful arm.
“GRAAAAAHHH!!”
Letting out a roar like a wild beast in heat, Seong-il bared his teeth and hurled Ilyna toward the nearest wall.
“That’s impossible!!”
Ilyna couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Horrified by Seong-il’s monstrous display of power, her body flew straight toward the wall where the other officers were clustered.
BOOM!!!
Ilyna was sent flying like a rag doll by Seong-il’s monstrous strength. Several officers threw themselves forward, using their own bodies as shields to cushion her impact.
“Ugh…!”
Even with their protection, Ilyna had still taken a heavy blow. Seeing her crumpled form, Seong-il panicked.
Fuck… Did I go too hard?
He dashed over and reached out to her.
“Are you all right?!”
“Khk… Yes… I-I’m fine.”
Despite her words, Patrol Officer Ilyna Roengrim looked badly hurt. She grimaced, one hand pressed against her waist for support, and used Seong-il’s offered hand to pull herself up on shaky legs.
She doesn’t look fine at all…
Seong-il watched her with open concern. Yet Ilyna stood tall, flashed him a bright, energetic smile, and continued.
“As expected!! Your skill is incredible! Great Detective Seong-il!!”
Uh… it’s detective assistant, miss.
Unable to voice his true thoughts, Seong-il simply smiled awkwardly, nodded, and replied.
“Officer Ilyna was impressive too! If you hadn’t used your family’s secret technique at the end, I would have been completely helpless!”
“Secret technique…”
Ilyna murmured the words quietly. After a moment of deep thought, she straightened, stepped in front of him, and bowed at the waist.
“I have learned a great deal today!!”
“I-I also learned a lot!”
Caught up in the moment, Seong-il bowed back. As he did, Ilyna whispered softly into his ear.
“…Great Detective Seong-il. Could you possibly spare me a moment of your time later?”
“Hm? Well… that’s no problem.”
Ilyna smiled warmly at his answer and nodded. Following her lead, he waited inside a nearby VIP lounge.
Before long she returned, now properly dressed in her police uniform.
“You’re here. Why did you suddenly want to see me—”
The moment Seong-il tried to get to the point, Ilyna dropped to her knees in front of him.
“?????”
“Great Detective Seong-il!! Please, I beg you—accept me as your disciple!!”
“????????”
What the actual fuck is this situation?
Seong-il couldn’t hide his shock at the sudden request. Even the iron face he had forged through Charlotte’s endless antics cracked under the sheer absurdity of the moment.
Seeing his expression, Ilyna remained on her knees, bowed even lower, and pleaded with desperate sincerity.
“Detective Seong-il…! I implore you to accept me as your disciple! Before I am a police officer, I am a martial artist. It has always been my dream to receive guidance from a true master whose strength I respect!! Please, show me mercy and grant me your teachings!!!”
Excuse me… I only just reached the first star of the Mountain Shattering Divine Fist…
Seong-il was utterly flustered. He had trained in martial arts for roughly half a year and had practiced fist and foot techniques for less than two months. Now this policewoman was suddenly asking to become his disciple.
Mistaking his bewildered look for refusal, Ilyna crawled forward on all fours like an eager puppy, grabbed the hem of his trousers, and begged even more fervently.
“Please!! I will beg on my knees like this!! Make me your disciple!!”
“Uh… um… but I’m still very much a beginner myself…”
“Not at all! To me you are a magnificent master without any shortcomings!!!”
Fuck… She’s like a goddamn leech.
Panicking, Seong-il began throwing out whatever excuses came to mind.
“Th-that is… my martial art is a one-man transmission secret technique. Passing it on carelessly is difficult. Teaching it openly in a public space like this is especially…”
At the words “one-man transmission,” Ilyna’s face flushed crimson with ecstasy. Her expression shifted to that of a girl madly in love, and she began courting him with even greater desperation.
“In that case!! Would you grant me the honor of inheriting that transmission?! I, Ilyna Roengrim, swear to become your loyal disciple and subordinate, Great Detective Seong-il! Furthermore, I promise to build a secret training facility so no one else can steal and learn your techniques!”
“…Roengrim? Are you nobility…?”
“No! It is not an aristocratic house. My father is an emerging magic businessman. He earned many contributions to the kingdom through his enterprises and was granted this surname as a reward!”
Seong-il was growing tired of her long-winded explanation. Internally he agonized.
Are you kidding me… I’m a beginner myself. What the hell am I supposed to do with a disciple? I can barely take care of my own body. Besides, I only won because I reinforced my physique with internal energy. This is insane!!
No matter how he looked at it, he felt he couldn’t accept her request. So he began refusing by listing increasingly outrageous conditions.
“After thinking it over, it really seems impossible. Our one-man transmission martial art requires absolute obedience from disciple to master. The corporal punishments the master may inflict are extremely humiliating, which is why we cannot accept female disciples.”
“Eh?! Just what kind of level are we talking about…?”
Uh… fuck, what do I even say?
Screw it! I’ll just mix in some sexual harassment-level nonsense. She’ll run away on her own.
Still flustered, Seong-il began spinning an absurd tale.
“Well… the disciple must obey any demand the master makes without question and endure all manner of unreasonable punishments! The most representative example is that if the disciple fails to meet the training standards the master sets, they must remove their own pants, lie naked across the master’s lap, and receive a spanking on their bare buttocks. That sort of humiliating punishment is why women are…”
“I will do it!!”
“????????”
Seong-il had thrown out the most ridiculous excuse he could think of to drive her away. Instead of recoiling, Ilyna answered without hesitation.
Fuck… She’s actually agreeing?! Now what?!
Ilyna stared up at him with eyes sparkling like stars. Faced with that gaze, Seong-il delivered an ultimatum in one last attempt to push her away.
“Wait… You’re saying you can truly accept all of that?! Seriously?! And what about the training room?!?!”
“Please do not worry! My family is wealthy! The reason I work as a patrol officer is not for money, but for the thrilling excitement of beating down wicked criminals. That is why I serve at the police department…”
“…..”
“I will pay your tuition, of course! I will also build you a personal training room and accept any unreasonable conditions you set without complaint! Shall I write a formal contract?!”
…This girl is crazy too?!
Seong-il stared at her in blank amazement. Taking his silence as contemplation, she clutched his pant leg even tighter and begged with renewed fervor.
“Please!! I beg you!!”
He felt the soft, warm pressure of her breasts against his leg. The moment that gentle sensation registered, Seong-il felt himself growing hard and hurriedly answered.
“A-all right! Stop clinging to me! Stop!!”
He pushed her away and covered his crotch with both hands. The posture was incredibly awkward thanks to his erection, but Ilyna, overcome with joy, ignored it completely and cheered.
“Thank you!! Thank you so much!!”
Fuck……
Seong-il let out a long sigh at her stubbornness. Having somehow ended up accepting her conditions, he made one final attempt to set boundaries.
“However!”
“…?”
“There will be a one-month probationary period! During that time I will be extremely strict! Corporal punishment will be given without mercy. If you cannot endure it, you will be expelled immediately!”
“Of course!”
Sigh… It feels a little mean, but after I mess with her a few times she’ll probably quit.
With that thought, Seong-il immediately issued an unreasonable demand.
“Training will be held three times a week—Monday, Wednesday, and Friday—from 8 p.m. for two hours each session! If I have work or other obligations, training will be postponed indefinitely. However, if you miss a session for personal reasons, that will result in immediate expulsion.”
“I agree!”
“…Also, the training hall must be a completely private room where no outsiders can see inside. With that in mind, here is your first order. Secure a suitable training room by tomorrow—by Wednesday. If I don’t like it… you understand, yes?”
“Understood! Master!!”
Master? What the hell…
Seong-il sighed again. Feeling completely drained, he nodded and turned to leave.
“Then I shall see you at 7 p.m. on Wednesday! Master Seong-il!”
Fuck, that’s embarrassing—stop saying crap like that!!
Screaming internally, Seong-il returned to the detective agency.
Fuck… fuck… fuck…
When Seong-il walked into the Moriarty Detective Agency with a face like he had chewed on shit, Xia took one look at him and asked curiously.
“Hm? Why do you look like that today…?”
“Actually…”
Seong-il began recounting the day’s sparring match and everything that had happened with Officer Ilyna.
“Puhahahahahahaha!!”
Xia clutched her stomach and burst into laughter. Seong-il grumbled at the sight of her face.
“Sigh… I’m seriously in trouble here. Could you stop laughing?”
“Kuhuhu… kgh… hup… S-sorry… khup…”
Even as she apologized, Xia couldn’t stop laughing. She wiped the tears from the corner of her eye and answered.
“Haa… So even after you made such an outrageous proposal, she accepted without a single complaint?”
“Yeah…”
“Puhaha!! That young lady is something else. She’s just like our boss.”
“…Boss?”
“Yes. Why are you acting like you don’t know? I’m talking about our croissant boss~”
“…Charlotte?”
“Exactly… Strictly speaking, she’s more the boss than the detective, right? She’s the employer and the nominal head.”
“…Never say that anywhere. Understood?”
“Of course~ I’m not an idiot.”
At that exact moment, Charlotte popped out from the upper floor like a ghost.
“Hmm? Has Seong-il-kun returned?!”
“Eek!!”
Startled by the sudden appearance, Xia quickly plastered on her customer-service smile and greeted her politely.
“Hello, Great Detective…!”
“Yaaawn~ Xia! Good afternoon!”
There were faint traces of dried drool at the corner of Charlotte’s mouth.
She must have been taking a long nap upstairs since there was no work…
Seong-il let out a small sigh at the sight before greeting her.
“Yes! I’m back!!”
“Ooh…!!”
Charlotte’s eyes instantly sparkled. She rushed over and asked about the sparring match.
“Ooh! How did the duel turn out?!”
“Um… I won easily.”
“As expected!! My Lupin!! I believed in you all along!!”
“Y-yes…”
“Indeed!! Moriarty’s partner! Master of martial arts!!”
Charlotte gazed at him with eyes shining like a child’s. Seong-il answered her.
“That aside, it looks like I’ll have to give martial-arts instruction to Officer Ilyna from the police department three times a week.”
“…Pardon?”
Charlotte looked puzzled by the unexpected news. Seong-il continued.
“Well… the situation is…”
He explained the events to her as neutrally as possible, leaving out the more stimulating details. Charlotte’s eyes widened with excitement and she roared.
“Marvelous!!!! To possess such skill that a martial-arts master from the police department would make you such an offer!!!!”
Fuck… Who decided Ilyna was a martial-arts master?
As usual, Charlotte’s imagination had inflated the situation dramatically. Seeing her like that, Seong-il gave up a little and played along.
“Hahaha! That’s all because they learned from our great detective, isn’t it!!”
“Ohohohot! Absolutely correct!!”
Xia watched the pair with great amusement. While they carried on, she teased them lightly and brought over tea and cookies.
“Come now! Calm down a little~ Have some tea and cookies!”
“Oh, cookies!! Excellent!!”
And so the lively daily routine at the Moriarty Detective Agency drew to a close for another day.