Education Is the Future
At a quiet cafe along the riverbank, Jeolji-ah was in conversation with his junior, the Gyeonggi District Overseer.
"The reason you were dismissed, perhaps..."
"Hahaha... that's not it."
A vein popped on Jeolji-ah's forehead as he anticipated the rest of his junior's sentence, but years of cultivated faith and the composure of age transmuted the irritation into a laugh.
"You know better than anyone that that's impossible, don't you?"
"Of course I know."
"I knew it! So you really have gone senile..."
This time, Jeolji-ah's face went ice-cold. He rose slowly from his seat.
"You. Outside. Now."
And the location couldn't have been more convenient. A cafe on a quiet riverside with almost no one around — and if they slipped into that secluded spot over there, no one would see a thing.
"Ahaha... Senior, I'm over fifty now..."
"I'm past seventy, junior. Let's relive some old memories, shall we? Feel free to come at me for real."
Dragging his junior by the collar into the back alley, the sounds of a brawl soon erupted between the currently serving Gyeonggi District Overseer of the Solari Church and the former Seoul District Overseer — both men held in high regard.
"Ow! Ow! Are you actually hitting me?!"
"Haha... I suppose I really have gotten old. Or perhaps our junior here has been training hard."
Jeolji-ah let out a hearty laugh as he watched his junior block his fists. After so long without a proper spar, the stiffness from riding his motorcycle all the way here melted away at once.
He really is a monster.
The junior couldn't collect himself from the heavy impact that still got through even with his guard up. Unlike the Awakened, Holy Warriors could not imbue their fists or weapons with divine power. Their bodies simply became tougher.
But just how far did that "tougher" go? They recited prayers as they shattered stone with their bare fists. Unsatisfied with even that, they trained their bodies and honed their martial arts until they could punch holes through steel plate with their fingers. And if their offense was like that, what of defense — the specialty of divine power? They could ping bullets off their eyelids without breaking a sweat. This senior was the living legend of Holy Warriors who had reached a realm that belonged in the movies.
"When did you even learn a technique like that? Please, just go easy on me this once!"
"Hahaha... there is no end to learning. That said, our junior's mouth has gotten quite foul since I last saw him. Looks like a little guidance is in order."
"Gyaaaaaah! I yield! I yield!"
Jeolji-ah coiled around his waist like a snake in an instant and yanked his arm as if pulling a radish from the earth, and a cry of repentance burst from his junior's lips of its own accord.
Sensing that a little more force would actually snap the arm, Jeolji-ah released him and stood, dusting himself off. His junior's eyes were welling up from the pain, and even Jeolji-ah felt a slight pang of conscience.
"Ahem... you're tearing up over something like that?"
"Senior! My joints aren't what they used to be! I'm looking at sixty here!"
Jeolji-ah shot back at his junior's glare.
"Then you've still got a long way to go before you go senile like me, haven't you?"
"That... I misspoke."
"Ahem! I suppose I did go a bit overboard with the hitting."
Though their combined ages easily exceeded a hundred and twenty, the senior and junior made up like children, then headed back to the cafe in a faintly awkward atmosphere.
"You two have far too much dust on you. Please wait at the door for a moment. I'll brush you off."
The cafe owner, horrified at the sight of their clothes filthy from rolling on the ground, frantically dusted them down.
"Ahem..."
"Sorry about that."
While being brushed off, the two of them didn't know what to do with themselves, mortified in front of the cafe owner. Having thus affectionately reaffirmed their bond, they returned to their seats and picked up the conversation.
"So it's actually true?"
"I confirmed it with my own eyes. I even have the footage."
"Good heavens... it really is. Then what about the Saint? The Saint himself said that a Saint and a Saintess cannot appear at the same time. You heard him too, Senior."
"According to the Inquisitor, he is still alive. Though his condition is likely not good."
Karen had put it more bluntly, but Jeolji-ah had toned it down on his own, figuring it might be too much of a shock for this young junior.
"Then Goddess Solari sent the Saintess because something happened to the Saint."
"That's right! See, you're still young — your head still works."
The junior himself was no spring chicken by anyone else's standards, but in front of this senior he was still treated like a youngster, which left him with a peculiar feeling.
"I trust you, Senior. After all the time we've spent together. And there's no one more terrifying than you if I were to stand on the other side."
They had survived countless brushes with death together, and the years spent attending the Saint had given the junior more than enough faith in Jeolji-ah. Besides, there was the footage — no reason not to believe.
"I'm truly grateful."
Even if his junior had been a bit of a smart aleck at the end, Jeolji-ah was deeply moved by the trust directed at him. This kid was a Holy Warrior too. Without his own convictions and his faith in his senior, he was the type who would refuse to go along even if it killed him.
"But I know you well. Other people... I'm not so sure."
"Even after the Saintess appeared in person?"
"There are a great many who revere the Saint. Of course, their faith in Goddess Solari remains unchanged... but that's exactly what makes it dangerous."
"If the Saintess were to demonstrate her power in front of everyone..."
Jeolji-ah's words trailed off. Come to think of it, Ellie's abilities were not as dazzling as the Saint's in his prime.
"There's a problem, then."
"Yes. She hasn't fully awakened as a Saintess yet. Her healing isn't as exceptional as the Saint's used to be."
"Then it will be even harder. Within the Solari Church, the Saint's fame and stature are unmatched."
In a sense, the Saint was the very founder of the Solari faith. It was no exaggeration to say that most Holy Warriors had grown up dreaming as they watched him, and that was how they had arrived at where they were now.
"...Even so, we can't give up. Once the Inquisitor starts moving, this will not end quietly."
"Is the Inquisitor that frightening? Granted, the title is Heresy Inquisitor..."
Jeolji-ah could not forget the chilling aura Karen had given off at the cafe that day. He had met every kind of person imaginable, but his entire body had sounded an alarm. Do not touch this man.
"You can't even imagine. It's proof of how furious Goddess Solari is."
"...You're right. It's all our sin."
As if by prior arrangement, both closed their eyes and offered a brief prayer.
"So what will you do now?"
"I'll tour the Alliance. Head down toward former Japan, then work my way back up through China, Russia, and Mongolia."
"The entire Alliance. That's going to be an enormous undertaking. Will you be all right? You're not as young as you used to be."
"Haha... I could be ten years older and I'd still beat you, so don't you worry."
"Let's fight again in ten years. I'll win then."
"You'll have aged right along with me, you idiot."
Bickering, the two of them left the cafe. As Jeolji-ah mounted his motorcycle, his junior spoke in a worried voice.
"You really must be careful. The movements up top have been unusual lately."
The junior's sincere words sank into Jeolji-ah's chest.
"I'm actually glad."
Jeolji-ah put on the helmet that had been sitting on the back of his motorcycle, gripped the throttle, and spoke to his junior in an excited voice.
"I'll be off, then. May the sun be with you."
"May the sun be with you."
Exchanging the greeting of Holy Warriors, the two parted ways. The junior watched the road Jeolji-ah had taken for a long while before finally leaving himself.
"I suppose I should get going too."
His senior had taken the lead. Now it was his turn to follow. As the Gyeonggi District Overseer, he had much to do.
"How could those so-called adoptive parents do such a thing? School, at the very least — they should have sent her to school!"
"They're scum who deserve to die."
When Han Minjae exploded in outrage, everyone chimed in. And they had every right to. The couple currently locked in the basement, swinging pickaxes for all they were worth, hadn't even sent Ellie to elementary school properly.
"But isn't education compulsory through middle school?"
"From what I found out, they told the adoption agency and the school that she was studying at home due to illness — homeschooling."
Director Kang spoke up. He had already investigated everything about the adoptive parents, down to the color of their underwear.
"...That's allowed?"
"If she doesn't attend, the school can only send encouragement notices. The fines are small, and there hasn't been a single case of a fine actually being issued."
For a moment, everyone was at a loss for words. They had thought they'd had it hard themselves, but encountering a world even further down was bleak.
"That said, we still can't send her to school. I'd like to, but it's too dangerous."
As Karen said, things were fine for now, but the Church could move against her at any time. Even with them around her, not only Ellie but the people nearby could be put at risk.
"Then why not do it at home? That homeschooling thing. Is that a bad idea?"
"Hm? It's not bad. There are pros and cons."
Karen looked at Samsaek with fresh eyes — it had been a while since the cat had said something that actually sounded like a Spiritual Beast.
"Wh-what's with that look?"
Samsaek warily edged backward, but Karen was already lost in other thoughts and paid the cat's movement no mind.
Come to think of it, I've got everyone I need right here.
Looking around at the faces gathered about him, a solution presented itself at once.
"You lot can do it."
"What?"
"Us?"
"What do they teach in school these days? The youngest one... you tell me."
"Broadly speaking, it would be Korean, math, and science."
Han Minjae, still in his early-to-mid twenties, dredged up the memory. A few years out of school and it was already getting fuzzy.
"Then... Director Kang, you went to a good university, didn't you?"
He had since resigned, but this was a man who had risen all the way to director at Joseon Pharmaceutical. You didn't get there on mediocre credentials or a mediocre mind.
"I graduated from Alliance University."
"That's a high bar, isn't it?"
"It's the hardest school to get into in the Alliance. And last time we were drinking, he mentioned he graduated second in his class..."
Director Kang seemed reluctant to say it himself, so Han Minjae, ever quick on the uptake, answered for him.
"Minjae. That's a bit..."
"Why? No need to be modest in front of me. Speak freely."
Then again, no matter how impressive someone's qualifications, they were vanishingly small in front of Karen. Everyone here had a rough idea of Karen's past thanks to Samsaek's big mouth. He'd been tutor to an emperor — what more needed to be said?
"What department?"
"The School of Economics."
"You can teach at the middle and high school level, right?"
"Of course."
Even with the years on him, Director Kang was a second-place graduate of the most competitive humanities program at the Alliance's top university. A quick review would be enough.
"At that level, you can handle math too. Director Kang takes Korean and math. Next is science... Han Minjae."
"Yes, sir!"
When Karen pointed at him, Han Minjae answered with a booming voice befitting his massive frame.
"You teach it."
"Me? I didn't even go to college."
"Alchemy is a kind of science, isn't it? You looking down on it?"
"No... still. What I do is a bit different..."
"Just what you've learned from me over the past few months, plus what you've picked up in the field going through Gates — that's more than enough to be a professor of alchemy. Herb compounding ratios, their effects — that's all a kind of science too."
Of course, the results were a little different from Earth's conventional knowledge.
"But... can I really do it? Science these days is earth science, physics, that sort of thing — it's hard..."
"If you don't know it, learn it and then teach it. You've got to earn your keep. Or should I tell Ellie you don't want to teach her?"
"No, sir! No! Anything but that."
Lately everyone here had been completely absorbed in playing with Ellie. Being hated by that Ellie? Just imagining it made their chests ache.
"And your laboratory is science itself. Show her everything in the textbook with her own eyes. If she wants to look at constellations, buy her a telescope. If you're doing chemistry experiments, buy the whole set of equipment from the textbook and have her do every step herself."
"Well, that I like!"
At the mention of experiments, Han Minjae's face lit up. That was his specialty. Right — it wasn't even college-entrance-exam science. As Karen said, if he didn't know it, he could learn it. He'd been overthinking it.
"The big subjects are settled... but you can't grow up healthy on studying alone. For physical education... ah, here we go."
Everyone's heads turned toward the now-retired S-Rank Hunter.
"I'm in!"
Chaerin, who had been waiting for her turn, shot her hand straight up.
"I'll make Ellie someone nobody can lay a finger on."
Physical education probably wasn't a subject that taught that sort of thing, but if it worked, it worked. They'd let it slide.
"You two take technology, home economics, and ethics."
"Us? But we're..."
Yeongjun and his friend trailed off. Compared to the people Karen had just named, they felt inadequate.
"In a way, that role is the most important."
"What?"
"How many people do you think I've seen who had money, a good family, and a good head?"
"Too many to count, I'd imagine."
He had been watching people for over a hundred and sixty years. Karen, who had met royalty and nobility as routinely as meals, did not place those things at the top of what needed to be learned.
"There's a field out there too, so farm together and tell her about the lives you've lived."
"If that's what it is, we can do it. Understood."
"Kku-ing! What about me?"
Samsaek raised a front paw high and looked around at everyone, and no one met his eyes. There was not a human alive brave enough to disappoint a cat gazing at them with such sparkling, expectant eyes.
"You have a role no one else can fill."
"What is it?"
Everyone stared at Karen's mouth. How would he get out of this one?
"Be Ellie's classmate. Sit next to her and take the lessons together."
"I like that!"
At the sight of a satisfied Samsaek, everyone looked at Karen with newfound respect for finding a solution that pleased everyone.
"Go get Ellie."
Samsaek went upstairs and soon came back down to the first floor with Ellie in tow.
"Our Ellie just keeps getting cuter."
Everyone nodded at Chaerin's words. Ellie's outfit for the day was a pair of one-piece denim overalls that only amplified her cuteness. She came down the stairs at a run and settled naturally at Karen's side.
"These are presents!"
Ellie held out a piece of cross-stitch to each of them. She must have worked hard with the cross-stitch kit Karen had bought her, saying it would help her emotional development.
"It's nothing much, but..."
She gave Han Minjae and Hangil bears, Director Kang a dolphin, Chaerin a leopard, Yeongjun and his friend puppies, and Samsaek a calico cat that looked exactly like him.
"Aigoo! Our Ellie has such a kind heart, too."
She must have pricked herself plenty with the needle, working so hard with those tiny hands — cute character bandages were stuck to Ellie's fingers.
"And Uncle gets a dragon!"
She must have been deeply impressed by the dragon story he'd told her last time. Compared to the cross-stitches she'd given the others, this one was lavishly decorated from the scales all the way to the horns.
"Wow! This is a real work of art. Ellie really likes Karen, huh?"
"I like Uncle the most."
When Chaerin asked, Ellie nodded vigorously.
"We've been discussing your education, starting tomorrow. Of course, we'll respect your wishes as much as possible, so speak freely."
"Education?"
"That's right. You can't go to school, but you'll study one-on-one with the people here."
"Me too!"
"...Yes, and that cat over there as well."
Ellie looked around at the people gathered about her. She could see her teachers, each holding the cross-stitch she had made for them, smiling.
"Of course I like it! Thank you so much — Uncles, Unnie, and you too, Uncle. I look forward to learning from you."
Ellie stood and bowed deeply from the waist, and everyone watched with warm, contented smiles.