Chapter 1
Chapter 1
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: False Accusation
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As I walked out the main gate of the academy, the conversation I'd just had with the president replayed in my mind.
"Instructor Choi. What on earth possessed you to do something like that?"
"What are you talking about?"
I'd just finished lecturing the academy students and was heading back when the president's furious voice caught me off guard.
But he continued, his face still twisted in anger.
"Don't play dumb. We've already secured the evidence."
His sudden interrogation left me baffled, so I asked again.
"Please explain what's going on. I have no idea what you're referring to."
"Hah..."
With a short sigh, the president held out the phone in his hand for me to see.
"Wh-what is this?"
"The Helmont Academy Intranet. It's an internal repository that collects student data to prevent information from leaking outside the academy."
Text messages, photos, calls sent from students' phones—all communication data goes through the Helmont Academy Intranet, where it's encrypted before transmission.
It's got a complex mechanism, but simply put, think of it like a 'Wi-Fi secured with powerful encryption magic.'
Even on Earth, if you control the Wi-Fi, you can siphon off data anytime. Same principle here.
"President. Why would I ever access the Helmont Academy Intranet, which contains students' personal information? I have zero interest in that."
"Then how do you explain the username listed here? Isn't that the ID you normally use for instructor duties?"
"It's... it's a misunderstanding. Yes, it's the ID I use often, but I've never accessed it."
"You're denying it because there's only the access log as evidence? Doesn't matter—we're about to send out a full cooperation request. If the Magic Investigation Agency launches an official probe, things could get a lot messier for you."
"Why not just admit your mistake now and leave the academy on your own? Delete all the data you stole, of course. Since this involves invading students' privacy, we'll need a written affidavit confirming the deletion. Otherwise, we'll push forward with the investigation request."
Thinking back on it, it still pissed me off to no end.
'Fuck. Requesting cooperation from the magic agencies? Go ahead, you bastard. I'll drag this to trial, get acquitted, and countersue your ass for false accusation.'
I swear on my life, I'd never even accessed the intranet. Forget permissions—I wouldn't have used my own ID if I were stealing data. What kind of moron does that?
Besides, the kids I teach are barely twenty. Why the hell would a guy in his mid-twenties snoop on conversations or photos from these little punks?
'This fucking sucks.'
No matter how I turned it over in my head, the rage wouldn't fade.
That's when a familiar face caught my eye.
'Baek Hyunseo, right? Beginner class student at Helmont Academy. Her dad's the president.'
Baek Hyunseo spotted me and hurriedly hid something behind her back, looking flustered. She must've just arrived at the academy—textbooks in hand and all.
'What's that about? Got a gift for someone?'
Here I was, wrongly framed and booted out because of her dad, and she was off delivering presents like life was peachy. I glared at her, and she stammered,
"Th-that Instructor Choi Juwon... Did my dad chew you out a lot over the intranet thing?"
"You think it was just a chewing out? He treated me like a goddamn criminal..."
I froze mid-sentence, a weird feeling hitting me.
'Wait. How does she know the president reamed me out over the intranet?'
Baek Hyunseo was one of those rare types who didn't use a phone.
And from the stack of textbooks, she'd clearly just arrived at the academy.
No one could've called or texted her, and she hadn't heard it directly.
So how the hell did she know about my run-in with the president?
"Hey... was it you?"
Baek Hyunseo flinched, stammering in panic.
"Wh-what are you talking about? M-me?"
"You don't have a phone, and you just got here. So how do you know I got screwed over the intranet?"
"Th-that's because Dad mentioned it yesterday..."
Hah. Bullshit. That damn old man had left on an early morning business trip the day before and only got back to the academy today. The intranet access log was timestamped in the afternoon.
"Your dad left on a trip at dawn yesterday. The log was from the afternoon, so by the time he checked it, he was already miles from home."
Baek Hyunseo swallowed hard, trying to play it cool.
"Sigh... I got a new phone recently. Dad bought it for me, been using it for a bit. I think he called me around evening while he was away. Said someone accessed the intranet. Th-that satisfy you?"
"Oh yeah? Then you have the number too, right? Call it up."
"..."
Her words dried up. She looked at me with anxious eyes.
That reaction said it all.
I exploded in fury.
"Why? Why the fuck would you do that! What the hell did I ever do to you? Why turn me into a criminal overnight—why!!"
Of course, I wasn't suspecting her without reason.
The Helmont Academy Intranet had security so tight, even top-tier mages couldn't crack it. But there was one way to roam it freely.
'Master Key.'
The president always carried the intranet's Master Key on him—a magic tool packed with critical info no one else could have. But as a backup, he'd made one spare.
I recalled our old conversation.
-"President, what's that you always wear around your neck?"
-"Ah, this? It's a magic tool holding the intranet Master Key."
-"Y-you carry something like that on you?"
-"Haha, no worries. You know my magic skills. No one's taking it from me."
-"What if you lose it? The intranet could go down, and without the Master Key to reactivate it..."
-"Ho ho. I told you not to worry. I've got one stashed at home, of course. You know the level of magic barriers on my house, right?"
-"Ah... Good thing there's a Sub Key at your place. And if you set the barriers yourself, that's reassuring."
-"Exactly. Stop fretting needlessly."
If it wasn't the president himself, the only other way was the Sub Master Key from his house.
'The president's home is wrapped in magic barriers, and the only one who can come and go freely is direct family—Baek Hyunseo.'
Plus, divorced, he lived alone with just her in the mansion.
All signs pointed to one thing.
'Baek Hyunseo might've used the Sub Master Key to access the intranet. With my ID.'
But I pushed the thought away.
Sure, I'd nagged her plenty and given her failing grades.
But using the Master Key over that? Logging in with my ID? Absurd.
It'd be like robbing a bank at dawn, then tossing your ID in the middle of the vault.
'That doting old fool of a president probably never even considered putting his precious daughter on the suspect list.'
I ground my teeth.
The 'S-Rank Instructor' title I'd clawed my way to over years of grinding. Money? I had enough now that losing it didn't sting. But the prestige—everyone admired me.
All my students followed my teachings without question. Parents lined up nationwide to enroll their kids in my classes. The students idolized me, soaking up my guidance. I loved seeing them thank me, trust me, follow me.
But overnight, I'd become the villain to everyone.
Baek Hyunseo, seeing me trembling with rage, suddenly yelled,
"I-I told you it wasn't me! And even if it was, so what? You're just some academy instructor—think you can treat the president's daughter like this? I'll tell my dad, get you disciplined. You'll regret ever messing with me!"
"Disciplined? Hilarious. Do whatever. I'm already done with instructing anyway. Hah. What's the point arguing with you? You don't seem keen on explaining, so I'll be on my way. Just... fuck off."
"What? You're quitting instructing? D-did Dad fire you?"
"No? I turned in my resignation. Everyone looked at me like a freak. Wondering if I'd swiped their info from the intranet. So yeah, I quit. Happy now? The guy you framed and wanted gone is out—party time, right?"
"Is... is it really that serious?"
"Are you insane? The intranet has every scrap of data from students' phones. And there's a log of someone accessing it. With my ID."
"How'd you feel if some stranger had rifled through your phone—gallery, call logs, texts, messenger apps, everything? Go on, imagine it. I've been turned into the academy's resident pervert creep overnight."
It hit me again—Baek Hyunseo didn't even have a phone.
'Fuck... no phone, so of course she wouldn't get it. This is bullshit.'
I brushed past her; she wasn't worth another word.
"W-wait a sec..."
I ignored her mutter. Talking more would just give me a headache.
I looked her dead in the eye.
"Let's never cross paths again. Better for both our sakes. I'm not one to hate people usually. But you? I despise you. Truly the worst."
Step.
Step.
Watching Choi Juwon walk away, Baek Hyunseo murmured blankly.
"This... this isn't what I wanted..."
Thud.
Her legs gave out, and she collapsed to the ground.
Splat.
The cake in her hand smashed, gooey frosting sticking to her body.